Hell's Concerto
by Umeko
Summary: 2 years have passed since Hades' death and Pluto's dissolution. However, Ryu is finding it difficult to shake off his past. Especially when someone refuses to let him go. Class Q find themselves facing a far deadlier enemy than before.Dark themes expected
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: This is my first Detective School Q fic and my first attempt at a thriller/ mystery. Any OOC-ness, weirdness etc. is my fault. May have a slight AU-ness. All the DDS characters belong to their creator.

This is rated for dark themes and violence. No lemons expected. This story begins after the end of the manga series. Character deaths will be expected. I have lowered the rating to a T for now. May up the rating later if the story warrants it.

**Prologue **

Kerberos played with his cards as he waited outside the Tokyo International Airport. After Hades' death, Pluto fell apart. Some were arrested. Others disappeared into the shady criminal underworld. He had done well for himself, going solo as a crime consultant. He still kept to the rules Hades had set so long ago out of respect for his deceased mentor. How old would their young master be now? Sixteen? He had not expected to encounter the name Pluto again. Yet it has risen from the ashes like a phoenix from its pyre the morning he found that letter in his mail. He apologetically turned down a tourist, indicating the 'On Call' sign on his vehicle.

A young woman wearing large sunglasses and a large sunhat was approaching him. She cuddled a Disney's Pluto soft toy. Kerberos drew the queen of spades from his deck of cards and held it up. It was an obvious gesture. He had recognized her the moment she stepped out of the terminal. It had been a while since they had last met and he did not know if she recognized him in his disguise. She did not show any outwards sign of acknowledging him, until she drew alongside him.

"Please take me to Styx." The words were delivered in a low voice, more an order than request. Kerberos opened the door of his vehicle. They did not exchange further words until they were cruising on the highway at a steady sixty kilometres per hour.

"Do you mean what you wrote?" Kerberos nonchalantly discarded his mask and cap. The woman in the back seat placed her sunhat on her lap. "Hades had his reasons for sending you away… He will not approve…" His passenger rolled up her sleeve with slow deliberateness. "I understand how you feel, though I can't agree… Hel." The young man sighed. He never really cared much for most of the other members. She was an exception.

"It is still kind of you to receive me, Kero. Is Ryu well?" She lowered her sunglasses. Any word of protest died on Kerberos' lips. Her eyes were just like Hades'. No, more like the legendary criminal Kokuo Urika's, the woman who birthed their late leader and mentor.

"When you have lost everything you hold dear, Kero, nothing matters. Nothing is left for me, except…" she paused with a smile and leaned forward, placing a slender hand on his shoulder. "So, will you indulge me, Kero?" Her touch was cold enough to make him gasp.

"At your service, Lady Hel," Kerberos replied. Whatever Hel had in mind, Kerberos was sure it would be a masterpiece. _Let the dance begin…_

* * *

Amakusa Ryu woke up in a cold sweat. Another nightmare, his mind registered. Relieved, he padded out of bed. It was almost two years since that fire. It had been a difficult time for him. Counselling had helped a little, but still the nightmares came with a regular frequency. He pondered if he should call up his best friend. Looking at the clock, he decided against it. Even Kyu would not like being awakened at 3 am in the morning. He was home alone. His father was away on a business trip in L.A. The elder Amakusa had recovered well enough from his long imprisonment to go back into business. It probably helped that he was in a semi-hypnotized state for much of that time.

_What if Kyu had been wrong? What if they had been trapped in the fire? What if the great detective Dan had been killed by Hades?_

_Nonsense!_ Ryu let the water run and splashed water over his face. Kyu had trusted him to keep their promise. His friends escaped unscathed from the fire. Dan escaped death that day. The bullet shattered his badge, but that was sufficient to absorb the impact. The great detective died peacefully six months later, finally losing his fight against a long illness. The one to perish in the fire was Hades, whose charred body was removed from the ruins…

Could he have done something differently? Even if Hades weren't his real grandfather, he had brought him up in the absence of his father. A form of Stockholm syndrome? Ryu mused. He still thought of Kokuo Hoshihiko as a stern grandfather. And they did share the same bloodline descended from the genius Kuzuryu. Ryu stared at the mirror. There would be no way he could get any sleep that night.

With a sigh, he switched on the bedside lamp and picked up the book he had been reading before bed, _The Works of Genius Kuzuryu._ The book was a newly published compilation of his great-grandfather's masterpieces. His eyes danced over the words of the final chapter.

_Kuzuryu displayed a rare talent for the piano as a child. Typical of the great master, he ceased playing the instrument in adulthood. However, rumours persist of a piano composition by Kuzuryu Takumi. This composition was never performed in public until two years ago when a rising pianist, Tatiana R. Kokuonova, introduced and performed the piece under the title "Elysium Illusion" in Carnegie Hall. The hauntingly beautiful piece attracted rave reviews. _

_Strangely, the rising pianist withdrew from the New York Conservatory of Music, taking the only known copy of the score with her. To date, evidence has been found to prove or disprove Kokuonova's allegations. Kokuonova's purse and identification papers were later found on the banks of a nearby river. Her body was never found. Rumours have circulated that the melody is cursed. An anecdote has it that it was composed by a teenaged Kuzuryu for a European noblewoman who later committed suicide in the same manner as Kokuonova… _

"R. Kokuonova," Ryu frowned. That name was disturbingly familiar. He closed his eyes.

"_Risa-neesan," he perched on the piano bench next to his older companion. He watched in fascination as her fingers danced across the keys, coaxing the most amazing music from the grand piano. The music shutting off the darkness and gloom around them the same way it had shut away her pain and illness. _

"_Bravo, Risa!" Hades clapped as he approached them. "It's time for Ryu to go to bed…" The girl bowed and took him by the hand. "Not you, Risa. I need to talk to you. Yurie! Get Ryu ready for bed." The grip on his hand reluctantly loosened. Yurie took him by the hand and hurried him away. _

* * *

"The annual Class Q party is now in session!" Renjo Kyu exuberantly waved his party fan to and fro. For good measure, he stepped onto the low table. "No feet on the table, Kyu!" Megumi chided. Kintaro hooted in amusement.

"Excuse me, we're from Class A," Yukihira reminded him with a good-natured prod. Kuniko giggled shyly and glanced in the direction of Ryu. Distracted, Ryu did not notice. It had been Megumi's idea to extend the invitation to their Class A schoolmates. So far, only Kuniko and Yukihira had accepted. "Kinta! Pass the dip!" Kazuma called out. "It's 'please, Toyama sir', munchkin!" Kintaro ribbed his younger friend. "If you want it, come get it!"

"Kinta, Quit it!" Kazuma yelled as Kintaro held the dip bowl just out of Kazuma's outstretched hands. The pair started a light-hearted chase around the room. "You need exercise, Kazu-kun!" The younger boy was beginning to tire.

"Whoops!" Kintaro crashed into Kyu from behind. Kyu fell, smack on top of Ryu. "Sorry, guys," Kintaro apologized. "Is anyone hurt?" Kuniko called out.

"Nope," Kyu grinned as he wiped dip from his hair. "I'm okay, besides smelling like wasabi and soy sauce." Ryu muttered something under his breath that might have meant the same as he wiped the dip from his shirt. "Better get it washed out or it'll stain," Yukihira advised.

"Ryu, nightmare again?" Kyu wiped his dripping hair with a paper towel. They were both cleaning up in the restroom at the back of the restaurant.

"Uh-uh." Ryu looked a mess. Dark shadows were starting to show under his eyes. "Third one this week."

"The fire again? It's becoming more frequent, isn't it, Ryu? If you need to talk…" Kyu stuck his head under the hand dryer.

"I'm fine, Kyu. I don't think I'll never get this stain out…" he attacked the offending stain on his shirt with renewed vigour.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **

Stockholm syndrome – a psychological condition when kidnap victims develop a loyalty to their captors.

Neesan – big sister

Poor Ryu has been through a lot in the series. However, the possibility of Pluto's resurgence is too good to ignore. Or will it be something else more personal?


	2. Etude No 1

Disclaimer: All the DDS characters belong to their creator. Any OOC-ness, weirdness etc. is my fault.

Somehow, I can't seem to PM anyone recently. I intend to make this a mystery/thriller/suspense fic, so any pointers on the genre will be much appreciated.

* * *

**1. Etude No. 1**

"Say, you guys are back fast!" Kintaro exclaimed when Ryu and Kyu walked in. He was pinning poor Kazuma down with an arm lock. The chatter of the other customers from the neighbouring rooms shut out the sound of Kintaro and Kazuma's friendly tussle. "Kinta! You've proved it. I'm out of practice, so let me go already!" Kazuma called out in a voice that was hovering on the verge of breaking. Kintarou relented with chuckle.

"Where're Megu and the others?" Kyu looked around. The girls were nowhere in sight.

"They went to the washroom a while ago," Kintaro replied

"All three?"

"You know what girls are like…" Kazuma replied. "They are probably touching up their make-up…"

* * *

"So how are things between you and Kyu-kun?" Yukihira washed her hands in the basin next to Megu's. "W-what?" Megu turned crimson. "You know," Kuniko giggled. "We saw you two at the movies the other day…"

"Excuse me, miss. Can you please help me with my watch? I can't seem to get the clasp open…" a grandmotherly woman in a kimono tapped Kuniko on the shoulder. "S-sure," Kuniko smiled and fiddled with the antique pocket watch the old woman handed to her. It looked very old and very expensive. "Thank you, kind miss."

"We're just friends…" Megumi replied, still blushing furiously. She looked away in embarrassment. Her gaze landed on Kuniko and the old lady. Kuniko had unclasped the pocket watch and the old lady now held it by the chain. There was something very wrong, Megumi mused as a strange lethargy came over her.

"Well, you could show off your assets in a new wardrobe. How say we girls hit the mall… what's up, Megu?" Yukihira looked up at the mirror. What she saw in it made her gasp in shock. Before she could turn around, a strong-smelling cloth was clapped over her mouth.

* * *

Twenty minutes later…

An uneasy feeling was nagging at him. Ryu picked at his food. The other boys were tucking into the food with gusto. Kintaro was drinking beer in between mouthfuls of onigiri. Two empty cans graced the table in front of him. "Kinta, just because you hit the legal age for drinking doesn't mean you have to get drunk," Kazuma cringed at the thought of what happened at their last outing. "I swear I'm not letting you ride home in my limo if you do." "Aw, I promise not to puke on your mini-bar this time…" Kintaro shrugged. "This teriyaki handroll's great, you should try some, Ryu!" Kyu nudged Ryu.

"They're taking a very long time, aren't they?" Ryu remarked and politely turned down the handroll Kyu offered him.

"Guys! Ryu's got a point. They are taking an awful long time… maybe we should check…" Kyu interjected.

"Are you nuts? That's the ladies' room. Unless you are thinking of…" Kintaro protested. A scream sounded from outside the room. "What's that commotion?" Ryu stuck his head out the door. A hysterical waitress was on her knees at the entrance of the corridor leading to the washrooms, screaming. Ryu rushed in the direction of the washroom. The nagging feeling of unease had turned into a roaring certainty.

"Wait up, Ryu! Argh!" Kyu tripped on the raised threshold of the room, tripping up both Kazuma and Kintaro behind him. "Watch it, Kyu!" "Argh! My glasses! Where're they?"

Ignoring the pandemonium behind him, Ryu arrived at the entrance of the ladies' washroom. The first thing he noticed was the faint bloodstains on the tiles. Yukihira was sprawled on the floor. The front of her pink blouse was streaked with red. There was no sign of Kuniko apart from her handbag, its contents scattered over the floor. Megu was standing at the sinks, staring dully at the mirrors, which were covered with angry red lipstick graffiti. The stub of the lipstick was in her hand.

One of the mirrors bore Pluto's sign. The other had the Japanese phrase '_Let's play hide and seek'_. The one that Megumi was staring directly at… Ryu held onto the doorframe to steady himself. The words were written in English.

_Amakusa Ryu. Greetings from Hel._ Without thinking, Ryu grabbed a handful of paper towels, dampened them under the tap and wiped off the offending words. He threw the towels into the nearest toilet, seconds before Kyu arrived.

* * *

In a vehicle a some distance away…

"You should not have interfered, Fenrir," the grandmother chided. "I had everything under control." She ripped off her mask and threw it onto the floor. Next to her, Toya Kuniko stared blankly ahead into thin air.

"Hypnotizing three at once? Besides, you should have let me kill that girl. I would love to see the look on Ryu's face if his friend gets her throat cut," Fenrir ripped off his wig. "Please, blood takes forever to wash out…" Hel rolled her eyes in disdain. "You should know that, Fenrir," she switched to flawless Russian. Fenrir retorted rudely in the same tongue.

Behind the wheel, Kerberos tried to ignore the squabbling behind him. Hel was gifted. He never thought anyone could so casually hypnotize more than one subject in such a situation. True, magicians have done it before but it was in settings where the willing subjects were expecting to be hypnotized. Not much suggestion was required then… He wondered why he was so compelled to help Hel. Her scheme was risky, downright vengeful and with no possibility of any monetary gain to her, though he had been promised a fair sum for his trouble. He never liked Fenrir from the first time Hel introduced them. Hel secretly referred to Fenrir as a mad dog who must be kept chained. Given a chance, Kerberos was sure Hel would gladly kill Fenrir.

"Now we wait for Jormungand's report," Hel purred and removed her wig. She looked at the watch in her hand, in particular, at the picture inside. She snapped it shut.

* * *

"I see," the principal tapped his pen on his desk and hung up the phone. He took a deep breath before speaking. "Yukihira is recovering from a mild concussion and will be discharged tomorrow. She hit her head against something hard during the attack. Her memory is sketchy at best. Toya Kuniko never made it home last night. The police are looking at a possible kidnapping , but no ransom note has been received." Principal Nanami looked the concerned faces around him. The incident had Pluto's prints over it. Yet it was not their style to announce their involvement so openly. He straightened his sombrero. Megumi was apparently hypnotized but physically unharmed. The writing on the mirror was ascertained to be hers. The blood on the floor was Yukihira's, from her head wound. Head wounds always tended to bleed.

"I took some photos of the scene with my mobile phone. I have them on my laptop," Kazuma offered.

"Anyone could have gone in and out. The restaurant was busy…" Kintaro murmured. "Whoever did it took a big risk of someone walking in…"

"Not if they stuck the 'Cleaning in Progress' sign on it," Kyu suggested. "Witnesses saw the cleaning trolley in front of the washroom…"

"They?" Nanami raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think there is more than one perpetrator, Kyu?" Kyu shrugged. "Well, Kuniko is skilled in martial arts. I would expect her to fight back if someone tries to grab her. Also, there were three of them. Or maybe they were caught by surprise… Right, sensei?"

They may have graduated but they are still his students. He had watched over them countless times while they investigated cases in those days. Kintaro had applied to the police academy after much thought. Kyu and Megumi both decided to wait till they graduate from high school before entering the profession. Kazuma was still working on his games, including one with a detective theme. As for Ryu… That was the one Class Q student he was worried about. Especially in light of the news he received over the phone.

"Sir, Megu is still in a trance," Ryu entered the room after knocking on the door. "Maki-sensei has her under observation in the DDS medical facility."

"Amakusa, did you do something at the scene you would like to tell us about?" Nanami asked sternly. "Nothing," Ryu muttered. "Amakusa! You're a graduate of DDS," Nanami slammed the tabletop hard. "You should know better than to wilfully remove evidence. They found traces of lipstick residue on the mirror Minami was in front of, but the marks were too smudged to be made out. Also, they found your prints on the tap and…"

"Ryu will never do that!" Kyu leapt to his feet and protested. "Tell him, Ryu!"

"Sorry, guys. I did do what Nanami-sensei said. However, my prints were definitely not on the tap, sir. I wiped them off. What was written on that mirror has nothing to do with the case." Dead silence greeted Ryu's calm revelation.

"The first witness recalled writing on all the mirrors, even if she could not read them, including that particular mirror. Care to tell us what was on the mirror, Amakusa?" Nanami asked sternly. "No," Ryu shook his head.

"Amakusa! Yukihira is in hospital, Minami's hypnotized and Toya is missing. And you are withholding a possible lead?" Nanami was positively livid. "Yeah, what's wrong with you?" Kintaro seized the front of Ryu's shirt, as if he were going to hit him. "Cool it," Kyu tugged on Kintaro's sleeve. The older teen released Ryu.

"It offers nothing more than what we already know," Ryu replied before leaving the room and his stumped listeners behind. "Amakusa Ryu!" Nanami yelled, got up to go after Ryu but accidentally tripped on the hem of his cactus costume. "I'll get him," Kyu was on his feet and after his friend.

* * *

"Ryu, what is going on?" Kyu caught up with Ryu outside the computer lab. "Kyu, please… I need some quiet," Ryu stepped into the computer lab and shut the door on Kyu, locking it. "Sorry, Kyu."

"Ryu!" Kyu pounded on the door with gusto. Ignoring the commotion, Ryu sat down at a terminal. The lab was empty. _Greetings from Hel…_ Was it a simple spelling mistake? _Let's play hide and seek…_ He took out his notepad from his bag and scribbled the words on it. He added the Pluto symbol. He started the computer and ran an Internet search. The commotion outside died down. Kyu was probably tired. What he found confirmed his fears. He ripped out the first page of his notepad and tore it to pieces, tossing the scraps out of the window.

"Ryu?" Kyu was dismayed when the blue-haired teen strolled past him without a backwards glance. He peered into the computer lab and was rewarded by the sight of Ryu's notepad sitting on the desk. Ryu had left it behind in his hurry.

_Sorry, Ryu… I have to know._ Kyu fished out a stump of a pencil from his pocket.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **

I wonder if anyone has caught onto the codenames used by the DSQ villains so far. I believe most have. Pluto, Hades, Anubis… they all have something to do with the netherworld. Kerberos will have a part to play in this fic, though he is not really the main villain. More like technical support. The main villain is my own character. I will be introducing them slowly as the fic progresses.


	3. Etude No 2

Disclaimer: All the DDS characters belong to their creator. Any OOC-ness, weirdness etc. is my fault. I do own my own characters

* * *

**2. Etude No. 2**

"That young man is in so much trouble…" Principal Nanami groaned. The police would most likely question Ryu. If Ryu was as uncooperative as he was earlier… He watched from his office window as Ryu walked briskly out of the school gates. "Nanami-sensei, should we follow him?" Kintaro asked. Nanami shook his head. Ryu would definitely notice Kintaro or any of Class Q trailing him.

A sharp rapping at his door drew his attention away from the window. Before he could speak, the door flew open and Hougou Tatsumi stormed in. "Back from New York so soon, Tatsumi?" The principal's tone was curt. Sensing an impeding storm, Kintaro and Kazuma hurriedly took their leave. Their teachers refrained from speaking further until the boys left.

"What do you mean by accepting this person as a student?" Hougou slammed the file of a certain student on the desk. .

"You mean Junior Bartley?" Nanami asked. "He met our requirements by passing the entrance exam three months ago. No small feat considering his disability. He has assisted the NYPD in at least five cases in the past three years, including one involving the kidnap and murder of a toddler. And with the appropriate medication and care, Maki has verified that his health will be manageable for the…" Nanami groaned. He had been over this many times with various members of the staff.

"He has credited his father's assistance in solving those cases. Ken Bartley is one of the top sleuths after Dan and a former Interpol agent. He is also known as the cyber sleuth and has cracked many cases over his computer. He became reclusive after his wife's death and few have seen him since. One thing disturbs me. We both know Ken. Is he the kind of father who would let his son move to a strange city, much less a foreign country, alone, especially if that child is 14, wheelchair-bound and in questionable health?" Hougou challenged.

A timid rap sounded at the door. A thin boy cautiously peered into the office. "Excuse me, Nanami-sensei, am I d-disturbing anything im-important? The class s-started fifteen minutes ago…" he spoke in halting Japanese. Hougou recognized the wheelchair the lad was in as being from the DDS medical facility. A laptop was balanced precariously on his lap. The words on his T-shirt read incongruously: "Have wheels, will ride."

"No, Bartley. Have you found your wheelchair?" Nanami asked gently in English. The boy seemed quite startled by Hougou's fierce looks. "Yes, sir. Sister Anna found it in the pond. We hope it can be cleaned. My father wasn't too keen on me coming here, but I wouldn't give up. No, sir! Sister Anna will make sure I take my pills. No need to worry, sir." Junior managed a shaky smile.

"I'll be over shortly, Bartley," the principal returned the smile. The boy wheeled himself out of the office with surprising speed and agility. Once out of the door, he made a rude sign at Hougou's back.

* * *

"Whoa, how did he get in? Kyu and I almost drowned during the entrance exam," Kintaro mumbled in bewilderment as Junior Bartley wheeled himself into the classroom just two doors away from the principal's office. The duo had decided to wait and see what storm was brewing between the two DDS lecturers. "Nanami-sensei had the exam held in an urban setting this year after the usual test centre was declared off limits due to landslide warnings. More on the deduction and less brawn," Kazuma explained. "But do you realize who that is?"

"Who?" Kintaro scratched his head.

"The son of Ken Bartley, the Laptop Detective," a clipped voice sounded behind the pair. Turning around, the pair saw that the owner was a Caucasian woman with reddish brown hair. "As students, don't you think you should be in class now?" Footsteps clomped down the corridor.

"Kinta! Kazuma! I found something!" Kyu called out as he ran towards them, a bit too loud, for several heads poked out of various classrooms up and down the corridor. Hougou peered out of the principal's office and gave a wilting glare. "Oops, sorry…" Kyu bowed so vigorously that the papers he was carrying all fell to the floor. A strong gust of wind played havoc. Sheets started fluttering hither and thither.

"Let me help you!" A pigtailed girl darted out of one of the rooms. She leapt into the air and started snatching up sheets from mid-air. A young man, presumably her classmate, slouched out. He chewed on his pencil as he joined in the gathering of stray notes from the floor.

* * *

It could only be her. He sensed it the minute he saw those words. Ryu looked up suddenly. He recognized the kimono-clad young woman standing across the crossing from him. It has been years and they both have grown.

"Risa?" Ryu shouted out. She shrugged in reply. A tram thundered past. When the tram had gone, Risa was also gone. Ryu darted across the tracks even before the barriers were up completely. He looked up and down the empty street with its quaint mix of traditional Japanese and Western styled houses and gardens. _Let's play hide and seek… _They had only played hide-and-seek once in their brief time together for Risa was in poor health, and it was in this same neighbourhood.

_They told him he had been sick for a while, so he couldn't recall what happened. He was living with Risa, until his grandfather sends for him. It was an English-style cottage with a green gate… _

Ryu turned the corner. Would she be there, laughing at the gate? To his dismay, the cottage was gone. In its place was an empty lot. He closed his eyes and forced himself to recall. No. He was wrong. They never played hide-and-seek at home. Right, it was the shrine up the hill. He dashed up the winding flight of stairs. The shrine still stood, though it looked a bit dilapidated. Ragged streamers from some long-past festival fluttered in the breeze. A crow cawed insistently. The door of the shrine building stood invitingly open. Without thinking, he ran in.

"What took you so long, Ryu-kun?" A pinprick on his arm told him he had fallen into a trap. His limbs became weak and he slumped onto the dusty floor. "Don't worry, it will wear off in an hour or so," Risa sat him up against a wall. "We have so much to catch up with, don't we?"

"Risa, why did you do it? Where's Kuniko?" Ryu asked. The drug did not seem to affect his speech. The shrine was in a lonely place. No one would come even if he yelled at the top of his voice. There was a tea set laid out, complete with a bowl of flower-shaped sweets.

"Hush, Ryu. Or you will spoil the game, just like you did the last time…" Risa nonchalantly poured him a cup. _Yes, they were playing with some kids from the neighbourhood. They hid behind the shrine's donation box and almost won, if only he had not sneezed._ "Your cute little friend is alive, for now…" Risa smiled.

"What do you mean?" Ryu asked cautiously. "Hide and seek," Risa clapped her hands. "If you don't find her, she dies. Simple, isn't it?" Understanding dawned on Ryu. "Risa, Grandfather…" he flinched as Risa suddenly flung the contents of his cup into his face. Thankfully, the tea was only lukewarm.

"Don't you dare call him that!" she took a few deep breaths to steady herself. "It bothers you, doesn't it? Seeing your name up there on the mirror? That's why you removed it, do you suppose?"

"No, it is…" Ryu frowned. He couldn't understand his own actions. _Why had he done it? Why couldn't he speak of it to his best friend?_ "Let me tell you a secret, Ryu… but you must not tell. You can never betray me, Ryu," Risa stroked his hair tenderly. "Because I told you so. I'm so glad you remembered after so long."

With a swish of her sleeves, Risa rose gracefully and glided out.

* * *

"How old were you when you hypnotised him?" Kerberos asked Hel as they stopped at a crossing. "Oh, when I was a silly little girl who needed a knight at my beck and call," Hel popped a cherry-flavoured sweet into her mouth.

"Maybe I should be wary of you," Kerberos said. She had changed a lot more than he expected. They say the fairest roses have poisoned thorns.

"Yes, Kero. You should. I am not my grandfather, you know." Hel picked up her mobile phone and dialled a number. "Jormungand? Is everything set?"

"Yes, Hel. The pieces are all in place, but…" the voice on the end of the line hesitated before continuing. "Ryunosuke, that is none of your concern," Hel whispered harshly so that Kerberos could not overhear.

"Very well," the line went dead. Jormungand slipped his phone into his bag and watched the DDS medical facility nurse administer a glucose drip to the semi-comatose Megumi after she failed to respond to repeated attempts to feed her. He felt sorry for her. If he helped her, Hel would definitely kill him. No, she would make sure he wished she had killed him.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Yes, DDS has been infiltrated. Hougou and Nanami will definitely lock horns over the running of DDS. Ryu is definitely going to be difficult.

Other new characters are appearing, the new DDS students and staff. Hel, Fenrir and Jormungand are my own characters and the names are taken from Norse mythology, more of that in future chapters.


	4. Class E

Disclaimer: All the DDS characters belong to their creator. Any OOC-ness, weirdness etc. is my fault.

New kids on campus making their appearance.

* * *

**3. Class E**

"So what have you found, Kyu?" Kintaro wrinkled his nose and peered at the print on the page he had picked up. The information seemed to be about unconnected cases in the past 2 years. "The possible whereabouts of Pluto's remaining members among other things. They are definitely involved in this, or my name isn't Renjou Kyu," Kyu declared. The boys cast a glance at poor Megu, who was still staring into space.

"Er, I'm sure this one has nothing to do with Kuniko's disappearance…" Kazuma put aside a stack of notes on a certain feudal peasant revolt. "Even if the name Amakusa popped up a couple of times in the history books…"

"I was being thorough," Kyu protested. "Greetings from Hel, I wonder what it means." He stared at the piece of paper taken from Ryu's notepad.

"You're that Class Q!" the pigtailed girl they met earlier squealed fangirl-style and practically leapt on Kyu. She sported a plaster on her forehead. "I am a big fan of you guys! I'm the cute and lovable Qin Meiling aged 15, from Shanghai! Can I have your autographs?"

"Erik Thorsen, aged 17. Norwegian. We're both from Class E," her blond companion stuck his pencil behind his ear and slapped Meiling with his cap. "The only reason we're here is because Miss I-can-fly concussed herself on the classroom fan." Meiling let out an outraged squeal and ran behind Principal Nanami, who had just walked into the room with the Caucasian woman from earlier. "Principal Kotaro, may we please have a session with Class Q, please?" the girl tugged childishly at his sleeve.

"Er, well…" Nanami stammered. "You know, it may be useful for Class E," the Caucasian woman cut in. "Considering what happened on their last case on that lost dog. Qin singing karaoke, Thorsen gaming at the cyber café, Bartley stuck in the school's elevator. And…"

"My niece stuck up a tree in the park with the lost German shepherd growling underneath," Nanami finished. "You do have a point, Theo..."

"Wait, you mean to say your niece is in Class E?" Kyu asked. Instinctively, he looked about for any cacti. Instead, he saw a teen in a wheelchair approaching them. "You must be Detective Dan's successor. I'm Junior Bartley, Class E," the boy gave a winsome smile and stuck out his right hand. "Renjo Kyu," Kyu shook his hand and returned the grin.

"Well, well… Not running back to your dear papa yet?" Erik sniped. "I know who put my chair in the pond, Thorsen," Junior returned the glare. "Prove it, you little rat!" Erik made a move as if he would hit Junior, but Meiling caught his wrist in time. "No!" Kyu looked at both boys. Obviously, Class E was not as united as they should be. "Break it up," Kintaro took charge, standing between the two would-be combatants.

"Has anyone seen Kagome-nee?" Meiling blurted out in a poor attempt to defuse the tension. "Time out, both of you," Nanami ordered. "We better let Minami-san get some rest…" Class E nodded their assent. Nanami prepared to leave the ward. _Where was his niece anyway?_ He was closely followed by Bartley and Meiling. Erik picked a piece of paper off the floor. "Hel, the Norse goddess of the netherworld," he placed the piece of paper on the bedside table. It showed a woman flanked by a large serpent and a huge wolf. Half of the woman's face appeared to be disfigured. Kyu felt a shiver run through him as he looked at the picture. Had he printed it out earlier?

A teenager dressed in Gothic Lolita fashion sidled into the ward. She carried a Victorian doll in her arms. "Uncle Kotaro, there's something on the DDS bulletin Alice feels you really should take a look at." The last member of Class E, Kagome has made her appearance. Nanami hurried past his niece. Kagome glided over to Kyu and took the picture from his hand and studied it. "Ah, Alice says your friend is not in danger for now."

"Alice?" _Was it another member of Class E?_ The boys wondered.

"Yes, Alice," she gave a creepy smile and hugged her doll before gliding out in a whirl of black lace. "How did she get in DDS?" Kintaro whispered to Kyu.

* * *

_DDS PC centre. _

"What's this?" Kintaro asked. "DDS online bulletin. A way for alumni, students and staff to interact and share information," the redhead teacher explained as she scrolled down the page. "Thorsen started it. The others in Class E help with the moderation." They were crowded a PC. "Neato," Kazuma gave a low whistle of admiration. The site was well-kept and hip without losing out on its professionalism. The screen made Kintaro's eyes ache. He stole a glance at Theodora St Clair, the newest teacher to join DDS. She was one sexy woman he thought, especially since he had a good view of her bosom through her blouse the way she was bending over the PC.

"The latest video was posted 5 minutes ago," Erik was all business now, his earlier hostility towards Junior forgotten. Both youths worked beside each other, working frantically on their laptops. "Postee is one Dragonboy9. It will take some time to track down his student particulars."

"Well, do it. You all know why you are in Class E," St Clair said. She paused to put her coat over Meiling, who had fallen asleep at her PC. The principal had explained briefly the somewhat unusual situation in Class E to the three Class Q alumni en route to the computer centre. The students were mostly IT-savvy or professed to have solved crimes in very unorthodox ways. Then a call from the police meant that Nanami had to leave. Kyu forced himself to view the video. It reminded him of an earlier case Class Q had solved. Thankfully, no one appeared to have died in the video yet.

Kuniko was blindfolded, bound and lying on her side on a blanket. From her attempts at freeing herself, she was very much alive. Her prison was bare, and lit only by a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling. There appeared to be no windows, as far as they could see. The only piece of furniture was a wooden chair. The video was over in five minutes.

Koda Kagome sat cradling her doll and staring at Kyu. She gave a smile when their eyes met. Kagome had introduced herself earlier as a psychic detective and claimed to solve cases with tips from the spirit world. "The best place for your friend will be in the police lock-up." She glided over and clicked on the latest video. Kyu's stomach clenched. The latest video lasted only two minutes. The only difference from the earlier ones was Ryu sitting on the chair and looking at Kuniko with a disturbingly sinister look on his face. "Taken about 20 minutes ago. Almost every teacher and student in DDS has viewed the videos. We are receiving posts ranging from attacks on Class Q's competence to potential leads." Kyu flinched as he scanned through some very scathing posts. A few alluded to Ryu's ties with a certain defunct criminal organization. _Definitely not good. _

"Eureka!" The blond delivered a victory punch to the air. "The owner of this account is an alumni member, Amakusa Ryu! How's that, pansy boy?" Erik nudged Junior so hard that his laptop crashed to the floor. Junior glared daggers at his tormentor. Kyu exchanged glances with his friends. _Ryu? It was unthinkable that he would be involved. _

* * *

"Amakusa Ryu?" Ryu opened his front door to two policemen. He had managed to stagger home after his encounter with Risa. Once home, he had spent a good two hours in a daze, trying to make sense of what was happening. "Please come with us to the station and we have a search warrant..." At least there were no handcuffs, yet.

"_Risa-neesan?" Risa was scaring him. It was cold. His bare toes were frozen. What was it Risa wanted to show him? Risa pulled him along, until they were at the grand piano. She let her fingers glided over the keys. "Do you like me, don't you, Ryu?" Her tone was almost pleading. "Er, yes…" Ryu replied. He did like Risa. After all, she was his only playmate in the gloomy mansion they shared with their grandfather. _

"_You will protect me, wouldn't you? No matter what…" She coaxed a melody from the piano. The music from the piano was soothing to his ears. Young Ryu nodded dreamily. He climbed onto the bench next to her, lay down and closed his eyes. _

"Hel?" Kerberos enquired gently. King Hades' granddaughter sat demurely on the piano bench with her hands in her lap. "Master Ryu has been taken in for questioning," he reported. "Do you think it is wise to..."

"He will not betray me, Kero-kun. Not as long as he thinks of me with fondness," she whispered dully. She reached over to scratch the head of the sleeping tabby cat on the piano.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **

There you have it. Class E, the new kids in DDS. A re-cap: Junior Bartley, Qin Meiling, Erik Thorsen, Koda Kagome. The new DDS teacher is Theodora St Clair. Ryu's reputation is taken a walloping on a massive scale. A bit of déjà vu here: Ryu is the prime suspect again.


	5. E Minor

Disclaimer: All the DDS characters belong to their creator. Class E is mine.

**4. E Minor**

"Ryu, you do know something, don't you? What's going on? Did you post that video on the DDS bulletin site? Where were you today after you left DDS? Do you know where Kuniko is? Please, remember our promise," Kyu pleaded. Ryu only stared at the table in silence until Kyu ran out of breath. "It's late, Kyu. You should go back and get some sleep. School tomorrow…"

"Forget school, Ryu! I'm not going home and leaving you like this! What about Megu and Kuniko?" Kyu cast a glance outside where Nanami was engaged in an animated argument with a policeman regarding his student's detention.

"I didn't post anything on that site. I didn't even know there was such a site. And I really wish I knew where Kuniko is… Please, I can't say anything else." Ryu looked so miserable. Kyu wished they were not separated by those bars. "We believe you, Ryu. Kinta, Kazuma and I think even Nanami-sensei. You wouldn't hurt Kuniko. Also, we were together when she was taken. It's definitely Pluto's work, isn't it?" Ryu nodded weakly in reply.

"I went for a quiet stroll to clear my head. I stopped for lunch at a roadside ramen stall. Then I went home, until they brought me here," Ryu said slowly.

* * *

"He admitted to tampering with evidence yesterday," Nanami gripped the steering wheel. "And that video of him and Kuniko was sent to the police. Sorry, Kyu. As much as we believe in his innocence, we have no way of convincing the police." The principal had offered him a ride home. Everyone was working hard. Kintaro had offered to draw on his contacts to find possible witnesses to Ryu's whereabouts. Kazuma had gone home, but there was no doubt he was working on the case too. "Class E offered to help, since they are the moderators of the DDS bulletin. This is the biggest case they have so far… and I pray they don't…"

Kyu suddenly lurched forward against his seatbelt as Nanami slammed on the brakes. "Kerberos!" In a flash, the principal was on his feet and racing up a gravel path towards a small church. Kyu paused to shut the car doors before sprinting after the older detective. He recognized Kerberos as he opened the church door and slipped inside. Nanami burst into the church to…

The church was empty but for a bespectacled nun sweeping the aisle. She looked up at their rude intrusion. "Is anything wrong, Nanami-san? Is it that child again?" she lifted her hand to her mouth. There was a slight accent to her words. "No. Sister Anna. It's not Bartley. We were following a suspect…" Nanami described Kerberos' appearance. The nun shook her head. No one else came here tonight, except Miss Koda," she inclined her head towards the statue of the Virgin. "She has been here since the six o'clock mass ended."

Koda Kagome knelt at the foot of the statue. Her black lace skirts were spread neatly about her. Alice the doll sat on the wooden floor next to her. "Kagome, it is late. Your mother will be worried," Nanami shook her shoulder gently. "No, she wouldn't," Kagome replied. "Get in the car, Kagome. I'll drive you home." Nanami's tone was weary.

"No. Didn't that woman tell you? I've moved out. I'm now living at Eden House nearby," Kagome snapped fiercely. "Tell that woman I'll never move back, not even if Hell freezes over!" She rose to her feet, seized Alice and stormed past both detectives like a vengeful angel. Sister Anna crossed herself as Kagome brushed past.

"Eden House?" Kyu asked. "There's an old building leased out as a youth hostel by the church. The real name of the place is All Saints' Hostel after the church but the lodgers all call it Eden House. It is a little rundown but close to DDS campus," Nanami explained as they made their way back to the car.

"One of our DDS hostels caught fire three months ago. Someone forgot to put out a candle. Thorsen, Bartley and Meiling were among those forced to find alternative lodging after the fire. They moved into Eden House with a few other students. St Clair moved there as she didn't trust those two under the same roof," Nanami explained.

"There is a Chinese saying about two tigers on the same mountain. One will kill the other," Meiling stepped up to them out of the darkness. Her expression was no longer cheerful as it was in the daytime. "Kagome-nee said there is darkness in our class. Someone will die soon. Will Junior and Erik get round to killing each other, Sir?"

"Don't listen to Kagome!" Nanami growled before he softened his tone. His niece was going too far scaring her classmates. "Now, no one's killing anyone or dying. Not if we can help it. Any clues so far?"

"Nope. Dragonboy9 posted a few more posts after Amakusa was arrested. Not very nice posts. No more videos for now. Junior is trying to trace his ISP. Erik and St Clair sensei are trying to find clues from the videos. I came out to feed the cats…" Meiling placed a box of leftovers on the pavement and was immediately greeted by a gang of eager cats. "Don't worry. They are all working in their own rooms… so they wouldn't end up fighting or anything…"

"It's not right," Kyu blurted out. "Erik Thorsen and Junior Bartley… they're classmates, aren't they? They shouldn't be fighting each other…" Meiling only shrugged prettily.

"They've been at it since day one. Maybe Kagome-nee meant Junior will die from his illness. Will he die soon? He has been looking awfully pale… Will I get sick and die if I share his books and borrow his laptop?"

"Meiling, we have been over this before. HIV is not spread by sharing books or laptops. And with proper medical care, he will live…" Nanami retorted, his mind casting back to Junior's first day in DDS… How Junior had shaken hands with all his classmates, then declared his HIV positive status in front of the class. Two of the students immediately bolted for the infirmary and later requested a transfer out of Class E. Those two eventually quitted DDS, unconvinced by their resident doctor's reassurances.

"Junior is HIV positive?" Kyu gaped. "I shook hands with him earlier…"

"Don't worry, you can't catch it from handshakes," Nanami reassured him. "Bartley contracted it from a blood transfusion after a traffic accident back home. Negligence at the blood bank. Please keep this to yourself, at least until Bartley decides to tell you guys."

"He's a bit touchy about it after what happened when term started." Meiling smiled sadly. "I really, really wish he weren't sick… He's a nice person…" A tear ran down one cheek and onto a startled kitten. "Goodnight…" she got to her feet hastily and fled in the direction of the hostel.

* * *

"Poor Junior. I feel sorry for him, being sick and all that," Kyu murmured as they drove along. "They shouldn't be sabotaging each other like that! They are comrades, right? I mean, Meiling, Thorsen-san, Bartley-san and Kagome…"

"Bartley is motivated. He wants very badly to become a detective like his father, Ken Bartley. Maybe too badly. Thorsen hates to lose. Both boys view each other as rivals. It is the same for Meiling and Kagome even if they don't show it much. Because they cannot work together as a team, they end up messing up cases they could have easily solved… Sometimes I wonder if Kagome is right about the darkness in Class E," Nanami paused. He was tired and spouting nonsense. Kyu was watching him intently.

"Erm, where's your home again, Kyu?" he asked.

"Er, you just passed it for the third time, Nanami-sensei…"

"What?"

"We have been driving about town in circles…"

"Why didn't you tell me? Do you have any idea how expensive gas is these days?" Nanami's eyebrow twitched.

"Wah, sorry! But I didn't want to disturb you while you were thinking…" The car stopped before the Renjo residence and Kyu hastily hopped off. Next time, he was taking the bus.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **

Kagome-nee – sister, Meiling is being very casual here.

Kerberos hiding out in a church? Let's say I was inspired by the real action series Tantei Gakuen Q where Pluto's hideout appears to be in some kind of chapel or church. Nanami is finding being principal a real handful, especially where Class E is concerned.

Sad fact: Lots of people still have misconceptions about AIDS, HIV and how it is spread. The virus is spread through contact with infected bodily fluids: semen, blood, vaginal fluid or breast milk. Major transmission modes are sexual intercourse (both homosexual and heterosexual), poor medical practices (sharing of needles), transfusion of infected blood and mother-child infection during pregnancy or breast-feeding.


	6. Class A

Disclaimer: All the DDS characters belong to their creator. Class E is mine.

**5. Class A**

Kuniko writhed, trying to wriggle her sore wrists free. _How long has it been?_ She was tired and thirsty. Blindfolded, she could only obtain information about her surroundings through her other senses. The air was musty. The stone floor under her blanket was cold and damp. The place must be soundproof or very isolated, since they hadn't taken the trouble of gagging her. Megu and Yuki were not with her, or they would have surely answered when she had called out. She prayed they were alright. She was certain there was more than one kidnapper. Footsteps! She stopped struggling and pretended to be asleep.

Confident and sure, the footsteps stopped next to her. "Awake?" it was the haughty one. A boot or foot nudged her side. "Leave her alone, Fenrir_ nii-sama_," a small voice called out. The scarping footfalls of the newcomer were hesitant and unsure. Her captor seized her arm in an iron grip. _Not good…_ Kuniko tried to squirm free.

"Aw, you go play with your toys while I entertain our guest." A hand slid into her tank top and fondled her breast. Kuniko let out a choked cry.

"_Nee-sama_ will be displeased," the newcomer continued. Kuniko could not figure out if it was a male or female. For all she knew, they could be disguising their voices.

"What _nee-sama_ doesn't know-" Fenrir continued groping. There was a dull pop followed by a harsh gasp of pain from Fenrir. Kuniko scooted away as far and fast as she could in her bound and blindfolded state.

"You little rat!" Fenrir let loose a string of curses in a tongue Kuniko did not recognize. The curses faded as Fenrir bolted from the prison. The newcomer approached. "Water. Drink." Kuniko greedily swallowed from the bowl held up to lips. Water never tasted so sweet. When she had emptied the bowl, the newcomer gently rearranged her blouse and skirt which had ridden up.

"The little snake shot me!" Fenrir cursed soundly, switching from Japanese, to English, before lapsing into Russian. "Hush, it only grazed your arm. What were you doing sniffing about in there, Fenrir?" Hel nonchalantly swabbed the wound with iodide solution. Fenrir lamely murmured something about checking on the captive. Hel smiled.

"If you try anything funny behind my back, Fenrir, this little scratch will be the least of your worries. Ryunosuke went easy on you, but I wouldn't… Kero-kun brought news. It appears Ryu was detained sooner than we thought. However, it is likely he will be released on grounds on an alibi we just gave him." Hel scowled at the screen before her. It seemed a good idea to post those taunts then.

"Yes, nee-sama," Fenrir winced as Hel tied a bandage about his arm. He looked up just as Jormungand was entering the room. Jormungand dropped the bloodied slug on the table, an indication that he has taken steps to remove evidence of the shooting which could be used against them. Hel smiled again. Jormungand was bright, unlike Fenrir. "Ryunosuke, I believe we should pay the DDS infirmary a visit soon," she placed a hand on his shoulder. Jormungand tensed up.

"Don't worry. I promise you no harm will come to Megu…" Hel purred, stroking Jormungand's hair, knowing full well how much he hated that particular gesture.

* * *

"They had to let him go because he has an alibi alright," Kintaro placed his feet up on the desk. "He was with us during the kidnapping and in the lock-up during the latest series of posts on the bulletin. For yesterday afternoon, a ramen seller recalled Ryu eating at his stall, because he poured soy sauce into his tea. Then a newspaper seller remembered him paying for a copy but forgetting to take it with him. What's up with our Ryu?"

"Something is bothering him, but he wouldn't or couldn't tell me…" Kyu poked listlessly at his takoyaki. "Oh, hi, Ryu." The blue-haired teen walked into the room. "I thought you guys would be at school!" Ryu was surprised to see his friends there in the DDS PC centre. "How do you expect me to concentrate on my studies with you acting weird, Megu in a trance and Kuniko still missing?" Kyu popped a takoyaki ball into his mouth.

"I'm still waiting for the police academy's acceptance letter and Kazuma here is home-schooled anyway," Kintaro yawned and nudged a sleepy-eyed Kazuma awake. "He's been up all night checking out the bulletin site and the videos." He handed a bento to the bleary-eyed boy. Kazuma only waved it aside.

"Whoever it is used your DDS details to enter and post," Kazuma explained to Ryu. "What's odd is how they knew about your past. Dan-sensei kept most of it quiet. Our teachers wouldn't leak out your secret."

"Our first priority should be to find Kuniko before it is too late," a small voice piped up. Junior Bartley wheeled himself in. "One word of advice: stay low, Amakusa-san. Someone You-tubed that video of you with Kuniko and you aren't very popular now." As if to emphasis his point, a stone smashed the window in front of which the blue-haired teen was standing.

"What the…" Kinta leapt to his feet as glass shards showered Ryu. Glass lacerated Ryu's hands where he had instinctively raised them to shield his face. "Come on, Ryu. You need a doctor," Kyu took Ryu's wrist and let the dazed boy away. Kinta peered out of the second-floor window. A blond teenager slouched away. In the shade of a gingko tree, a Gothic Lolita stood holding a lacy black parasol. A pigtailed girl sat on the perimeter wall cuddling a kitten. Class E. Any of them could have thrown the stone. They did not seem perturbed by the sound of broken glass, and Kinta soon realized why.

St Clair-sensei was smashing assorted glass items against a brick wall in some experiment. Satisfied with her handiwork, St Clair bent over, studying the shattered glass and collecting fragments. Kinta picked up the stone cautiously. It was a heavy with moss growing on it. It could have simply been picked up from the grounds.

* * *

Maki-sensei was waiting at the infirmary with good news. Their principal and Hougou were also there. "Megumi's come out of her trance," the doctor explained. "However, she recalls seeing Miss Katagiri when she woke up."

"Miss Katagiri may have dropped by…" Kyu said. "Katagiri-san couldn't have visited Minami-san this morning. She has been in New York for the last four months pursuing a higher diploma in criminal profiling. In fact, she just called Nanami long-distance from New York ten minutes ago. I fear that Pluto has infiltrated DDS, again…" Hougou cast a look at Nanami as if blaming him for the recent events. "How's Megu?" Kyu broke in.

"Asleep. She took some porridge then dozed off. She's very tired," Maki-sensei explained. Kyu peered past him into the ward at the sleeping girl on the bed. Ryu should be done having whatever glass shards removed from his hands. Maybe they could visit Megumi later…

"It has Pluto's prints all over. Problem is, most of the gang were busted two years ago…" Hougou continued. "Yurie and Thanthos, they are still in custody and not talking…. We could pay them a visit, but I doubt it will be useful. Anubis was presumed killed in the fire."

"Kerberos was spotted snooping about All Saints' last night but, regrettably, we lost him," Nanami added.

* * *

"KYU!" Yukihira almost bowled him over in the corridor. A bandage encircled her head. "Do you guys have any leads? Where's Kuniko? Who did this?" Ryu looked away guiltily. "Kyu, I want to help!"

"We too." Two young men approached. "Shiramine-san, Gouda-san," Kyu recognized the Class A alumni. "We heard about Kuniko and decided we can't just stand about twiddling our thumbs," Gouda Kyosuke explained. "Takeshi is stuck in LA on assignment, but he'll help where he could. Guess this case is proving too much for you, eh?"

"We will not give up and we will find Kuniko-san!" Kyu declared. "Renjo-kun, You have grown, taller, that is," Shiramine Hayato gave a grin and patted Kyu on the head. His grin was nervous, more to hide his own feelings of unease than to defuse the tense situation. "Where's Saburomaru? I thought I asked you guys to call him?" Yukihira asked. Gouda gave a snort of disdain. "We did. But that loser says he has better things to do…"

The trio in the PC centre looked up in surprise when Kyu and Ryu returned with the Class A trio. "What's this? A Class A reunion?" Kintaro said. The offending stone sat on a table. Glass shards still littered the floor. "They wanted to help…" Kyu answered.

"Really?" Junior looked disinterested. "Maybe they could help keep Ryu from being killed, seeing someone tied to brain him with that stone…" A little alarm went off. "Excuse me, time for my medicine." The wheelchair bound student eased himself out of the room, brushing aside Kintaro's offer to help. "Amakusa-san, do watch out. That person thinks you are guilty. I got shot at once during an AIDS rally because I'm a HIV carrier. I don't think a stone through the window is the end of it for you," the dark-haired teen sounded tired. His green eyes rested on each of them in turn, gauging their reaction. Satisfied, he wheeled himself out.

**Author's Note:**

Nee-sama, nii-sama – very formal way of referring to elder sister and elder brother respectively.

I am dragging in class A as well. Special thanks to Mask Rider Roy for DDS 101. I needed a refresher on Class A.


	7. Discordia

Disclaimer: All the DDS characters belong to their creator. Class E is mine.

**6. Discordia**

A little crowd had gathered in Class E's classroom. The Class E members were there. Class Q was there too, with the exception of Megumi. The three Class A alumni hung at the back of the class. Theodora St Clair stood in font. "Any leads so far?" she asked. "The videos, which I will show later, have yielded little. Narusawa, Bartley, any leads on your end?"

"Right, we have no traceable ISP. On the surface, it appeared to be from one of the DDS servers. Almost every student and staff member has access. However, it is more likely that it is routed from another computer, in another place. It is common in today's cyberspace… a world with few boundaries…" Kazuma rubbed his eyes sleepily. "In other words, I have no leads. Sorry guys," he added.

"Nothing on my side too. I'll ask my Pa to help out with the tracing," Junior volunteered. "You can't do anything without your dear papa, could you?" Erik sniped. Junior glared at Erik. "Quit it, boys," St Clair clapped her hands sharply. "Class E, I hope you will be able to work together as a team with our Class A alumni and Class Q."

Megumi poked her head suddenly into the room. "Ryu? I need to speak to you in private."

"Megu, how are you feeling?" Kyu leapt to his feet but Megumi ignored him. Ryu froze momentarily. There was something different about Megumi. Still, he excused himself. "Need some time with your girlfriend?" Erik sniped. A night of tedious work on the videos had left him in a less than cordial mood. Kyu frowned.

* * *

They walked in silence for about ten minutes before Ryu finally lost his patience. "What have you done to Megumi?" Ryu gritted his teeth. They were on the roof now. "Message from Hel, runt," the impostor continued. "The girl still lives for now. Stop me from leaving and Hel will return your friend, bit by bit... Here's Risa-nee's challenge to you," 'Megumi' gingerly passed an envelope to him. "And your friends, detective. Enjoy the show."

"RYU!" Kyu burst through the door. "Watch out!" The fake Megumi ran towards the edge of the roof. A helicopter suddenly appeared from the clouds. A rope ladder dropped down.

"Kyu, no!" Kyu tried to tackle the impostor. There was flash of steel. Ryu threw himself at Kyu's legs, knocking him to the floor. The blade sliced harmlessly through air. "Ryu! What the hell are you doing? She's getting away!" Kyu struggled.

"Let her go! Or Toya-san will be hurt! Risa-nee…" Ryu pleaded. The impostor gave his pursuers a mocking salute as she grabbed hold of the ladder and was swiftly whisked away. "Ryu…" Kyu stopped struggling and Ryu released him. The blue-haired teen was trembling like a leaf in a stiff breeze.

"Ryu, what's that all about? Who's Risa-nee? RYU!" Kyu caught Ryu as he suddenly fainted.

* * *

"Master Fenrir," Kerberos smirked as Fenrir clambered into the copter. "You don't look too good."

"Shut up," Fenrir growled. He ripped off his mask and the wig. His chest was aching again. _God forbid that his beloved sister or her lackeys find out…_ With a free hand, he reached for his pills. Kerberos raised an eyebrow. He had observed the events on the roof of the DDS block. Hel will be displeased.

* * *

"I noticed that the fake Megu was taller than Ryu. I have heard of growth spurts, but five inches overnight is pushing it," Kyu muttered. "Will he be alright?" Class Q hovered near Ryu's bedside in the infirmary.

"He's had some kind of breakdown. I found this in his hand," Maki-sensei cautiously passed an envelope to Kyu. There was an old-fashioned key inside. "No fingerprints besides Amakusa's. And traces of nail varnish."

"Varnish. I've heard that some burglars paint their fingertips with special gels or something like that to prevent prints. Damn, if only I had gone with you to the roof!" Kinta punched his thigh. "Aw, it was a lucky guess on my part," Kyu replied. "Hey, he's coming round!"

Ryu groaned weakly and opened his eyes. Fighting off a wave of nausea, he sat up despite the protests of his friends. Something had changed on that rooftop. It was as if something holding him back had suddenly snapped during his grapple with Kyu. "The helicopter… Can we track it?"

Kazuma shook his head. "Nope. It's a major security breach. Hougou-sensei's mad at Nanami-sensei because the new security cameras he had installed on the roof all failed to record anything. Local air-controllers are also mystified. There were two arranged helicopter flights transporting organs for transplant between hospitals and they did not expect one to make an unapproved detour."

"I happened to be looking out the window when the helicopter passed. The markings were those of the Japan Medical Service," Megumi added. There was a commotion outside, some scuffle which had Maki-sensei hurrying out intervene. Kyu faced Ryu squarely. "Ryu, this has gone on long enough. Who was that on the roof with you? And who's Risa?"

"Kokuo Risa," Ryu closed his eyes as an overpowering sense of guilt washed over him. It was no use hiding now that Kyu and his friends knew. "She's almost like a big sister to me in Pluto. We are the same… descended from Kyuzuryu. I thought she was dead… That fake Megumi, I don't know who she is…" _You are a dirty little traitor, Ryu-chan…_ he could almost hear her whispering into his ear. He got resolutely to his feet.

The commotion which had started in the corridor outside the infirmary relocated itself inside. "The dirty rat inked me!" Erik roared and flung his ink-splattered shirt across the ward. It connected with an empty bed, leaving an ugly stain on the crisp linen. Megumi blushed at the sight of the blond teenager's naked torso. Ryu caught sight of a tattoo on his biceps. It showed a serpent coiled about a hammer and ringed by runic symbols.

"There's ink on my jeans too!" Erik started to undo his waistband. "Please, there are ladies present," Maki-sensei interrupted. Erik muttered something rude but kept his stained jeans on.

"It was an accident!" Junior protested. The younger teen's glasses were broken and he sported bruises on his face. His T-shirt collar was ripped. Kagome watched with a bemused smile as she glided in. Meiling clung timidly to St Clair's hand, distressed by the fight.

"You didn't have to shove him out of his chair, Thorsen. Principal's office, now!" their irate form teacher hollered. The soft-spoken Maki-sensei could only watch as St Clair took charge. Erik spat at his injured classmate and stormed out sans shirt. Grateful for the lull, Maki immediately started tending to Junior's injuries.

Something metallic fell out of the wheelchair and onto the floor with a clinking sound. Being nearest, Megumi picked it up. "You dropped something. I think the clasp is broken," she remarked as she returned the chain to its owner.

"That's unusual pendant. Is it a ring?" Kyu asked Junior. The boy nodded. "It's my lucky charm," he chirped. "Thank you, Miss…" he paused awkwardly.

"Right, you guys have not been introduced yet," Kyu slapped his thigh. "Minami Megumi, this is Junior Bartley…"

"I'm the cute Meiling!" Meiling chattered eagerly. "Erik got sent to Principal Nanami and over there is Kagome-san… This is St Clair-sensei. Class A's back at the restaurant looking for clues…"

"Hi, I'm Minami Megumi. Nice to meet you," Megumi bowed. A few seconds were sufficient for her to commit Class E and their form teacher to memory. Also, she did recall some details of what happened before Kuniko was taken. _The old lady's pocket watch, it had a cameo of a younger Ryu in it. _

* * *

"Jormungand, are you sure?" Hel gripped her phone hard.

"Positive," Jormungand whispered furtively into his phone in the privacy of a toilet cubicle. "He has spoken your name to his friends. Sorry, nee-sama. Whatever hypnosis you did became undone…" he winced as Hel smashed her mobile phone against the wall.

"Impossible!" Hel pounded the piano keys, startling the cat with a discordant racket. "It appears that Master Ryu's bonds to his friend outweigh that he has towards you. You should know how strong-willed he can be," Kerberos stretched his legs and wondered what the Seventh District Hospital would make of their late delivery of a kidney. She glared at him.

Hypnosis is the strengthening of a notion in the subconscious through sublime or explicit suggestion. Now she knew why King Hades had refrained from hypnotizing Ryu when started to show signs of leaving Pluto. All Kyuzuryu's descendents are strong-willed. Being the granddaughter of King Hades, she wouldn't call it quits so soon.

"Kero-kun, let's proceed with the plan. Have you got the items ready?"

"Hel, it is risky…" Kerberos' protest died at the withering look she gave him. "As you wish, my lady."

* * *

"_Sending Miss Risa away?" Kerberos' ears perked up at his teacher's voice. He peered over the balcony. King Hades and Sir Charon were engrossed in discussion below. Heaven forbid that they notice him unintentionally eavesdropping on their conversation. They did not._

"_Yes, she is very intelligent, but too reckless and headstrong. She reminds me of my mother in many ways… Her recklessness will get her and Pluto into trouble. Ryu, he is just as smart and still mouldable at his age…"_

"_You still have Master Alex and Master Ryoma, perhaps you would like to consider appointing one of them…"_

"_Forget that worthless son of mine. He wants nothing to do with Pluto. He's just a common thief himself. And Ryoma, taking him away from Vera is impossible. There is also the boy's illness… Now that Risa has regained her health… I know it's harsh, Charon, but…" King Hades sighed. _

"_The boarding school you have selected has the best music programme… perhaps it would be better for her to direct her energy in that direction…"_

"_Yes, I will look forward to hearing her play, Charon. Maybe a visit to my favourite grandchild every year will ease…" The words died off as both men entered the building. _

* * *

Kerberos hid a grin at the sight of a pale Fenrir curled up in an armchair with his medicine bottles on a nearby table. He clutched alternately at his chest and his blanket, biting on it to keep in his moans of pain. _Like sister, like brother…_ Young Hel did the same when the pains got much for her to play the piano.

"Shall I get a doctor?" he asked mildly. Fenrir whimpered something in Russian and flung a glass at him. A doctor would be sent for all the same, discreetly. Fenrir would not be admitted to a hospital. Hel would never allow that.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

How powerful is hypnosis? Pluto's members are fairly skilled in it. However, in the live-action series, we see Ryu succeed in resisting Hades' attempt to hypnotize him into betraying Class Q. A widely-accepted belief is that hypnosis works on the subconscious mind by suggestion. In _the Casefiles of Young Kindachi_ (a manga by the same mangaka), the villain tries to frame Kindaichi by suggesting that the detective had been hypnotized to do what he has been secretly wanted to do: commit murder.

King Hades has an estranged son and granddaughter Hel? I know this is one dysfunctional household. And where does Fenrir fit in anyhow? Indulge this poor author by leaving a review to suggest how I may improve.


	8. The Key

Disclaimer: All the DDS characters belong to their creator.

**7. The Key**

_DDS staff room_

"Kotaro! This is what your security revamp cost us!" Hougou bellowed. "All for a surveillance system that does not work… the old one was perfectly fine!"

"Excuse me, Tatsumi, you were the one who requested an upgrade of the system, which I did…" Nanami grated from across the meeting table.

"Gentlemen, can we discuss this in a civilized manner? No point leaping at each other's throats…" Onikobe looked from the principal to Hougou and then back again. "Well…" he looked beseechingly at the rest of the faculty. Things never looked so bleak since Pluto's demise.

"I will be tendering my resignation," Hougou growled. "Be my guest, Hougou," Nanami replied.

* * *

_DDS infirmary _

"It had a cameo of a young Ryu inside," Megumi described the old lady's pocket watch. "It's Risa," Ryu whispered. "Grandfather gave us both pocket watches with our portraits inside. We exchanged watches before she left for New York… I lost hers some time back…" Kinta had gone out to meet Class A after updating them on the recent developments.

Kyu looked at his notes: _Eighteen-year-old female suspect named Kokuo Risa. Granddaughter of King Hades. Assisted by Kerberos and other unknown persons. Motive?_

"She's trying to get back at me for letting grandfather die…" Ryu groaned and buried his head in his hands. "Ryu, do you recognise this key?" Kyu held up the clear plastic bag. Ryu shook his head. "It is an unusual design, but I have no impression at all." The key was large and covered with rust on the handle, but the shaft showed signs of being recently oiled and possible use. It could be a red herring or Risa taunting them by giving them the key to Toya Kuniko's prison. If it were the latter, they needed to find the prison and fast. Based on the statistics he recalled from class, their chances of finding Kuniko alive were falling rapidly with each passing minute.

"There seems to be some etching here… Kazuma, could you run a search on this design?"

"No problem but it will take a while," Kazuma took the key and hunkered down at his laptop, typing furiously. "Done! The faint etching is an inscription in Latin. It is most likely a key from a Japanese church built in the late 19th century. All Saints. It is located near DDS."

"All Saints? That's right! Nanami-sensei and I saw Kerberos slipping into a church last night. I think the name of the church is All Saints!" Kyu added. "We better get going!" He dialled Kinta's number. Kinta and Class A would be meeting up with them in about ten minutes.

Kazuma suddenly leapt to his feet. "Bartley, I thought you left." Junior gave a smile and wheeled himself over to the window. "I simply went out to take a breather. Doctors and nurses can really get to me at times… Any clues? Or have you given up trawling the forum for more leads? My nick up there's Wheels…" he murmured almost sleepily. "Not very imaginative, but then neither are the others."

"I've been through the log and on the DDS forum. No further news from Dragonboy9… I guess Tarot-Alice is Kagome-san. She just offered me an online tarot reading," Kazuma said. "Thorsen-san's probably Thunderer. His remarks are still very cutting in cyberspace. Shanghai-doll sounds like she has a major crush on you." Junior's cheeks turned crimson.

"Meiling is a nice girl. Everyone likes her like a kid sister… I prefer not to dwell on what can never be," the green-eyed boy cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Why did you join DDS? Is it because of your father?" Kazuma asked in English. "I mean, Detective Ken Bartley is a master at cyber-sleuthing. He's a legend. Do you think you could link me up with him, ask him to teach me a few tricks on tracking criminals in cyberspace?"

"Maybe I could teach you a little. My pa's the best. He taught me all I knew… Maybe I joined DDS not to follow in his footsteps but to stand on my own feet," Junior tugged at the cuffs of his sleeves, shrugged and hummed a little melody. "_Seasons in the Sun_?" Megumi recognized the tune. The wheelchair-bound boy smiled wistfully.

"Hi, Bartley-san!" Meiling bounded into the room like a deer. "For you!" she thrust an armful of roses at Junior, much to the embarrassment of the recipient. "Thanks…" Junior took the roses and placed them in his lap. Class Q tried to stifle their laughter at Junior's obvious discomfort. The roses were red and set in a bouquet of white lace and black ribbons. There was a card attached, which Meiling had missed.

'_To dearest Uncle, kisses from Kagome'_ was printed neatly on it in flowing script. Junior was not the intended recipient of the bouquet. Neither was Meiling the sender.

* * *

_All Saints' Church_

A few hours later, Class A, Q and E were in the church grounds. Near the font, Bartley and St Clair interviewed the priest and nuns in case they have witnessed any unusual activity. They were not making much progress. The elderly priest was almost blind and deaf. Five of the seven sisters were elderly or infirm. The church had an air of neglect about it. Class A opted to check out the crypt and sheds in the sprawling church grounds.

Megumi and Kyu obtained permission to check the back rooms of the church for clues. Kinta suggested a detailed search of the wooden floor for possible trapdoors. After fifteen minutes on their hands and knees, Kazuma and Erik gave up searching the floor and returned to their laptops in case Kuniko's abductors decide to post another video.

"The key could be for any door," Ryu groaned and got up from under a pew, and found himself looking straight at Kagome's smiling face. No one had noticed her enter the church. She slowly placed a tarot card in his hand. "A message from Alice. The Tower. Unforeseen disaster."

"Look, I am not into tarot cards or guessing games. If you know something, please tell me," Ryu replied and crumpled the card. "A life is at stake here…" His words were cut off by a bloodcurdling shriek from the loft. The scream drew everyone's attention. Even those who were outside came in helter-skelter. "What happen?" Yukihira yelled.

"Get it off! Get it off!" Meiling screamed and tore at her hair hysterically. She had climbed up the choir loft and disturbed a colony of roosting bats. Startled bats fluttered about. Precariously perched at the edge of the loft, she stepped back into thin air. Kintaro dashed forward, but Erik was swifter. The blond flung aside his laptop and threw himself under the falling girl. Meiling landed smack on Erik's back. Everyone hurried over to the pair.

"Get away from them. Meiling, you get off Erik. Can you get up, Erik?" St Clair took charge, hauling Meiling off the older teen. Erik's face was scrunched up in pain. "My back…" he groaned.

He noticed that Kagome was not too perturbed by her classmates' mishap. _Guess that's the unexpected disaster… _Ryu thought.

"Ambulance, call an ambulance," an elderly nun suggested. "Get him to the car, I'll take him to the doctor," the teacher said. Thorsen was helped to the car by St Clair and Sister Anna. Meiling trotted after them, concerned. The remaining nuns dispersed. The priest pottered off absent-mindedly. Class A resumed their search of the church's overgrown graveyard.

Kazuma stooped to retrieve Erik's discarded laptop. The screen was on the DDS forum page. "Dragonboy9 is back online and he left links to some videos!" he exclaimed. His friends hurried over. Their hearts sank when they saw the first video. Megumi let out a squeak of fear and turned away. Kazuma closed his eyes, shaken. Kyu paled. "Snuff videos… the creep must have got them off the web," Kinta cursed as he forced himself to glance through the remaining videos.

_Next up, the Death of Toya Kuniko. Are YOU up to the challenge, Ryu-sama?_ The words appeared ominously on the site.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Will Dragonboy9 carry out his threat? Will Class Q find Kuniko in time?

I am not too sure how understaffed a church can be before it ceases to function as one. I suppose if there is a congregation and a pastor to preach….


	9. The Family Vault

Disclaimer: All the DDS characters belong to their creator.

Thanks for all the reviews so far.

* * *

**8. The Family Vault**

"The light is fading, Yukihira. Maybe we should call it off, or at least get some torches…" Shiramine called out to the pair walking in front of him. Gouda and Yukihira continued forging their way through the long grass. "We must find Kuniko. There are two more vaults at the other end of the cemetery, she could be there… OW!" Gouda stumbled. Yukihira hurried over to his side. It looked like a nasty sprain. Kerberos smiled. Even fate was helping Lady Hel.

* * *

"Neesama… you promised no one will get killed," Jormungand whispered and tugged at the cuff of her sleeve when she entered the church. Hel frowned and batted his hand away. They were too near Class Q for a conversation now. She beckoned Jormungand to follow her into a quiet nave some distance from the others. "Man, this one is a beheading of an American citizen by Iraqi insurgents. The other one's a female negotiator getting blown up by rebels… they were in the news sometime back… Man, this is sick…" Kinta's voice faded away. Hel was pleased to hear the tremor as he analysed the snuff videos Fenrir had posted.

It was by sheer luck and willpower Fenrir had managed to take on the role of the elusive Dragonboy9 in time for their plan. She couldn't slip away just yet and Jormungand obviously lacked the heart. Kero-kun could be trusted but he had been assigned to keep an eye on Class A. It simply wouldn't do if they found their friend before Ryu did.

"You promised not to kill her…" Jormungand wheedled. He clutched her wrist urgently, eyes pleading for confirmation. Maybe Jormungand was more soft-hearted than she had thought.

"You've checked up on Class Q and the others. Do you believe they will let her get killed?" Hel knelt casually before the statute of the Virgin Mother, hands clasped in mock prayer and eyes focused on the serene features of the statute. "Their skills are remarkable, but if you mean someone to be dead, you do not need to pull the trigger yourself, neesama… especially if you've placed the trigger in their hands. What trap has nii-sama set?" Jormungand stopped at her side and adopted a prayerful posture.

"I have no idea, little one," Hel lied. "I'll warn them." Jormungand made a move to leave her.

"Do you still remember hell, Ryunosuke?" Hel need not turn her head to know he has hesitated. "Turn now and you'll be back there where you were six years ago. Your teachers, classmates, even Principal Nanami, they wouldn't help you once they know your true identity… do you wish to be living in hell again?" Jormungand bit his lip thoughtfully.

"Death would be preferable," Jormungand's whisper was hoarse as he returned to her side. "In the end, the children of Loki have only each other."

"Good. I promise you, Jormungand. You will never have to go through that again." Hel made the sign of the cross and got up.

* * *

"This is not good…" Kyu frowned as their faceless adversary continued to taunt them despite Kazuma's best efforts to trace him. He fought a wave of nausea from the gory videos earlier. Beside him, Ryu was silent and pale. The sun was setting outside. _"Tonight's special matinee…" _appeared on the screen. Taking a deep breath, Ryu clicked on the link.

A grainy video appeared. A gagged Kuniko was tied to a chair. She was wearing a lumpy-looking vest with a timer attached. A small inset at the corner of the video was set at fifteen minutes and counting backwards. "Kazuma, can we do something about the resolution, fast?" Kinta asked. They might be able to get some clues from the video. Kazuma squinted at the screen as he ran the programme. "I think it is the same place she was held all along…"

Junior wheeled over to them. "Need some help?" Kagome stifled a yawn and wandered off in a show of blatant disinterest. Meiling was leaning half-way over the font, dipping her hand in the holy water.

_You have seven minutes, Ryu-sama…_

"KYU! Get the priest and the nuns! We need to ask if there's any place we missed!" Ryu yelled. Meiling squeaked in alarm when he dashed past her and splashed into the font. Near a stained glass window of the Mother and Child, Kagome glanced at the commotion, hugged her doll and called out. "Be careful, Amakusa!" Ryu ran into Class A on the porch. Class A's search of the surrounding grounds had come to an unexpected end. Gouda was limping badly, having sprained his ankle tripping over a fallen gravestone. He was supported by his two classmates. "Did you guys find anything unusual in the grounds? Have any of the crypts been disturbed?" Ryu asked.

"We have two vaults on the eastern side of the cemetery we have not managed to check out. Nothing unusual about the others. Many were falling apart. The locks on the crypts we checked were rusted badly. One didn't even have a door left," Yukihira reported. "Ryu, what's up?" Ryu ignored her question and ran.

"Ryu! Wait up!" Kyu bounded after his friend. Ryu sprinted towards the eastern perimeter of the grounds. The first vault he encountered was empty. The door had literally fallen off the hinges. The second one was located barely ten yards from the perimeter fence. Over the fence were the lights of the hostel. The second one was locked. The keyhole glistened. He touched the keyhole. It was recently oiled. It was too easy. The key was in his pocket. He had absent-mindedly pocketed it after they identified it as being from the church.

"Ryu!" Kyu panted for breath as he stopped next to him. "This is the place, Kyu…" Ryu murmured and inserted the key into the lock. They probably had less than five minutes to disarm the bomb and save Kuniko. "How much time left, Kyu?" The lock gave a dry click. The door creaked stubbornly on its hinges. It seemed an eternity before it was ajar.

"Ryu, something is not right. I have Kinta on the phone," Kyu clutched at Ryu's elbow, only to be shaken off. "There's no time, Kyu!" Ryu entered the dark and musty vault. Left without a choice, Kyu followed and flicked on his penlight. The nagging unease grew once inside.

"Kinta, we are inside the vault nearest the hostel," Kyu whispered into his phone. "No rash moves, I'll get there soon. Kazuma may have caught something… Kyu?" Kinta cursed when he realized his phone battery was flat. He dashed off. Kyu and Ryu gingerly groped their way past rotting coffins and dusty bones. A narrow flight of steps led downwards steeply. At the end of it, a door was slightly ajar. A thin crack of light showed.

"Ryu, wait. The others are on their way." Ryu ignored Kyu and made his way down the steps. The stairs were so narrow they could only walk in single file. Kyu looked at the small pool of light at his feet and ran the beam of his penlight up and down the stairs as he groped his way along. On reaching the bottom, Ryu gingerly pushed open the door, until he saw a frightened face looking back at him. Toya Kuniko. The girl shook her head frantically and fought against her bonds. The timer showed slightly more than three minutes.

"Kyu, I'm going in," Ryu called out to Kyu. He pushed hard against the heavy wooden door. At that same instant, it suddenly dawned on Kyu what was so wrong with their surroundings.

"Ryu, NO!" There was a tremendous explosion and smoke.

"Oh, hell…" Kinta gasped in horror as he reached the vault. The door hung open. The acrid smell emanating from within was not good… Coincidently, the beam of his torch caught the name of the family the vault belonged to. _Amakusa._ Kinta frowned. This was more than coincidence.

**Author's Notes:**

Guess this is one to Hel. Will Ryu, Kyu and Kuniko emerge unscathed from this? Or is this the first character death?

Thanks for the review. And yes, Ryu is having a hellish time.


	10. E is for Eulogy

Disclaimer: All the DDS characters belong to their creator.

Thanks for all the reviews so far.

* * *

**9. E is for Eulogy **

"Ryu! Kyu! You guys alright?" Heart pounding, Kinta ran into the vault, almost tripping over a casket. He went down the stairs. The first person he saw was Ryu, leaning dazed against the bottom step. Kyu was inside smoky room, bending over something on the floor. His shirt was streaked with blood. He looked up and saw Kinta. "Kinta, get an ambulance! Hurry!" Kinta sprinted out to get help. Kyu held his hands against the wounds, trying desperately to staunch the flow of blood.

"Kuniko-san, hang on," he urged. Blood kept spurting out between his fingers. Kyu dare not lift his hands. "Ryu, help me! RYU!"

Ryu shook his head as if to shake off the shock. He yanked his shirt over his head and pressed it against the wound in Kuniko's neck. "Kuniko-san, please hang on…" Kuniko's eyes were glazed as the massive blood loss took its toll. The wailing of a siren announced the arrival of the ambulance.

* * *

Class A's Yukihira was running over to the vault when she was met by…

"Shiramine? What are you doing here? Aren't you with Gouda? And what happened to your clothes?"

"That person's an impostor. I must have been drugged somehow…" Clad only in his boxers, Shiramine gripped onto a nearby stone angel for support. His head ached. His memories were fuzzy. He seemed to recall chatting with a young priest near the garden shed after the Class A trio split up earlier to check out the overgrown herb garden near the church… before waking up inside the shed ten minutes ago. He could not recall anything more. "Why is there an ambulance here?" he exclaimed.

The pair ran over to the ambulance, fearing the worst.

* * *

"The door was rigged to set off the shotgun there…" Kinta deduced as he watched an officer gingerly lift the said gun. The shotgun fired buckshot into the victim when the door was pushed open more than a crack. Kyu nodded solemnly. "Crude, but effective. Toya-san was wearing a padded vest with a timer attached. There were no explosives on her at all," he paused and looked at a stricken Ryu. "Cause of death was blood loss," Ryu finished. "I'm an idiot… why did I…" Ryu sank to his knees.

"Ryu, I'm at fault too. The dust on the floor… it was undisturbed…" Kyu murmured. No one else had disturbed the vault before they did, at least not recently. He pulled his gaze away from the bloodstains and studied the vault. It was built in an L-shape. Further in, there was another flight of stairs, which lead to the storeroom of the All Saints' hostel. The police officers were collecting any evidence they could and interviewing potential witnesses at the hostel.

* * *

"Anyone at the hostel could have access to the storeroom. It's unlocked and has not been in use for a while," Kazuma said as he tapped on his laptop, inputting the crime scene data and searching the net. He and Megumi were sitting in the storeroom. The room was cluttered with old furniture. "This particular vault was owned by the Amakusa family and converted into a possible escape route for the priests who once lived in the hostel, which was then a seminary. This was in the late 1920's when many Christians feared persecution by an increasingly militarized government. It was used as an air raid shelter during the war… during which, that branch of the family died out. Afterwards, the vault was left to fall into ruins."

"The floor here has been swept. Any luck on prints down there?" Megumi pushed open the door and called down the stairs. "We lifted a few in the room. Only Kuniko's, Kyu's and Ryu's. They may have used gloves… The blanket's taken from the hostel… What a mess," Kinta exclaimed as he joined them. "How's Ryu?" Megu whispered. "Not too good … Kyu's with him," Kinta replied.

"Nothing very helpful from the sisters here. They have boarders coming and going all hours. No one really paid attention to anyone," Megumi said. Kyu and Ryu soon joined them in the hostel. Kyu's shirt was still blood-stained and Ryu was wearing Kinta's jacket. Subdued, the five left the storeroom for the hostel's sitting room. A pale-faced Yukihira was sitting in an armchair.

"I called Kuniko's parents… they rushed over to the hospital as soon as they could, but they didn't get to see her…" Yukihira choked with emotion. She fought to regain herself as Kyu offered her a somewhat grimy hanky. Yukihira declined it.

"Class E," she rose, patted Kyu's shoulder and whispered. Following her gaze, the Class Q leader saw the elfin-faced Meiling kneeling with her head resting on Junior's blanket-covered lap. She was asleep. A weary Junior was receiving an injection from Sister Anna, the nun who acted as his nurse. The nun was fussing over him like a mother hen over her chick. The remaining members of the class were sitting on the piano bench. Erik wore a back brace, having returned from the medical centre with a sprained back. His face was scrunched with concentration as Kagome gave a tarot reading using the piano top as a table.

"They took it hard. They have never been on a murder case before. Their previous cases all involved finding lost items and pets," Yukihira added.

"Well, those two don't seem to be very bothered," Kinta indicated the pair of teens playing at tarot fortune-telling. Kagome was blandly tying a ribbon in her doll's hair, interpreting the cards for a frowning Erik.

"They and St Clair were the only boarders in the hostel during the past week. The other boarders were away on assignment in Hokkaido and Okinawa. I have checked with Nanami-sensei…" Yukihira added. "Besides them, there are the nuns. 78-year-old Sister Hilda, who has the room nearest to the storeroom, almost deaf and hardly leaves the room. Sisters Emma and Anna do most of the cooking and washing here, with help from the boarders."

"The rest of the nuns and boarders have their rooms on the upper floors, except for Bartley… his room happens to be just off the sitting room," Megumi added, recalling the floor plan Kazuma had sketched out based on the interviews. She glanced at the door of Bartley's room. The name card on the door spelt "J. R. Bartley".

"James, it is late. Time for you and Meiling to get to bed," Sister Anna gently shook Meiling awake. The sleeping girl murmured but did not awake. "It's alright, Sister Anna. I can sleep here," Junior interjected but the nun would have none of it. She hauled the young girl to her feet rather roughly. "Come along now…" This time Meiling awoke, rubbed her eyes and staggered off blearily.

"You need clean clothes," Sister Anna stopped and peered through her glasses at Kyu. She bustled out and soon returned with a garment that looked like an old-fashioned work-smock. With a shrug, Kyu changed into it.

"The police are almost done, but we'll have to seal off the storeroom and vault. Sorry for the trouble," St Clair strode into the room. Sister Anna nodded. "Please do so. We hardly use the storeroom. Do you require it to be locked?"

"Yes, if possible…"

The nun nodded in reply and produced a large ring of keys from her habit. Watching Ryu, Hel smiled secretly. Nearby, Jormungand closed his eyes.

"The wheel of fortune…" Kagome flipped over a tarot card. "The wheel of fate has begun to turn… It is only the beginning."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

I agonised over this chapter for a while, deciding whether or not to kill Kuniko off. The suspect list is quite large for now.


	11. Wolf in the Flock

Disclaimer: All the DDS characters belong to their creator.

More twists and truns and possible red herrings

**10. Wolf in the Flock**

"This is terrible…" Their principal whispered as the cortege got ready to leave for the crematorium. Beside him, Yukihira nodded grimly. She cast an eye over the mourners. Shiramine and Gouda were there. Saburomaru had put it a brief appearance earlier, but got seen off by Mr Toya for trying to push insurance at the wake. Class E's Kagome and Junior were present. Junior was in his wheelchair, attended to by a dour-looking nun acting as his nurse. Class Q was also there to pay their last respects, all except for Ryu. "Someone in that hostel did it…" Nanami murmured. He glanced askew at his niece. Kagome acknowledged him with a slight bob of the head. Her Gothic Lolita outfit stood out even among the sombre hues of the mourners. Her doll was still cradled in her arms. It would be best if the graduates of Class A, Class Q and the students of Class E stayed out of the investigation. It was getting too close…

"Is it true?" Kyu nudged Megumi. The pink-haired girl nodded. "I got a glimpse at the autopsy report earlier at the DDS medical facility. Maki-sensei left it on the table when I came for my check-up. Kuniko-san's last meal was wholegrain bread, and creamed broccoli and chicken, taken about three hours before death… I remembered the menu in the kitchen of the hostel. They had bread and cream of broccoli and chicken soup. There was a trace of a certain drug- I think it's some sedative- in her body. Injection marks on the arm under a plaster…"

"Not only that," Kazuma whispered. "The plaster on the injection mark was the same type as that from the hostel's first-aid box, which was in plain sight on the kitchen shelf. My guess is that they needed her sedated to get her into that vest…" Kyu scrunched up his brow in thought. He might not hold any degrees in psychology yet, but the implications were painfully clear.

"I don't think Kuniko was the target. It could have been Yukihira or Megumi they took… Remember what happened to Shiramine-san? I think their aim is to…"

"Guys, we're leaving now," Junior called out. He struggled to wheel himself down the gravel path but got stuck. His silent companion assisted by taking the handles of the wheelchair and lifting it free with much difficulty.

"They wanted someone near Ryu to die, preferably in front of him… That's why they waylaid Shiramine and led Class A on a wild goose chase. They even searched the empty fields behind which were not church property," Kyu pondered. That person knew Ryu exceptionally well to predict he would act the way he did. A calmer Ryu might have noticed the undisturbed state of the crypt but racing against what he believed was a bomb… "After this, we better call on Ryu…"

* * *

Two hours later…

"He's not answering the doorbell. He may be out…" Kyu added optimistically. "It is a lovely sunny Sunday." He put on a show of forced gaiety. "What say we go to Akihabara to check out some new games? I hear they have a new dessert shop there that makes great yogurt ices."

"You guys go on ahead. I have some deliveries to make," Kinta excused himself. "I could give you a lift," Kazuma added. "I do have some new software I have to get…" Megumi suddenly grabbed at Kyu's arm. "Look there, by the trees." The teens looked and froze.

Koda Kagome smiled at them from under a lacy white parasol. She had obviously been observing Ryu's house. She closed her parasol and entered a black limo. The man who held the door open for her was none other than Kerberos. Too stunned to react, the four teens watched as the limo sped away.

"Wasn't that Nanami's niece?" Kinta gasped. "With Kerberos!" He blinked uncertain if it were a mirage or some trick of his eyes. Kazuma wiped his glasses with his sleeve. Megumi frowned. She can't be certain at that distance and the brightness of the sun. Kagome was wearing the same outfit she wore to the funeral earlier. _Or was she?_

* * *

The Sunday mass had long ended. "Forgive me, for I have sinned…" Jormungand started in the dim confessional. The priest on the other side of the screen was silent as he poured out his sins in hasty whispers. Sister or not, Hel would kill him.

"Little brother, you should be more careful… do you really believe there is some all-merciful God?" the voice from the other side of the screen chilled him to the bone. Fenir pulled aside the confessional's curtain and blocked the exit so that there was no escape.

"You killed her…" Jormungand hissed. His words seemed louder than they were in the empty church. Fenrir pushed him back into the narrow booth. "I don't believe in Heaven or God. But I believe in Hell. You should know. We are all living in Hell… so watch your step …" Jormungand's bones felt delicately small under his hands. It would be all too easy to snap his neck…

* * *

_Sunday evening. Akihabara cyber café._

"Anything unusual on their files?" Kyu asked. He hated this. It felt downright sneaky having Kazuma hack into the DDS student files. It was the only way. Nanami sensei had ordered them, and the former Class A, to stay away from the case. The current Class A would take over the investigation with the Tokyo police. _"Class E will not survive if they continue this investigation," Nanami had said. "Do you really think the killer's one of them?" Kinta had asked. _Nanami had no answer to that. The chances were very high. Class E didn't have the trust which had kept Class Q together back then.

Megumi sipped at her soda, ready to commit to her memory any details Kazuma turned up. It would be too risky to print out the information. The background check on the nuns and the priest did not yield much information. Through the priest and older nuns have been in the parish for decades, the novices often came and left. Still, aside from the mystery priest who accosted Shiramine, there was nothing unusual on the priest and nuns.

"Their files read like a bad drama serial," Kazuma whistled lowly.

_Qin Meiling- Father executed in China for murder. Mother is a Japanese citizen. She aims to clear her father's name… Has seven older half-siblings, all members of a performing troupe run by her paternal grandfather._ Megumi frowned when she read Meiling's personal statement. It was painfully simple and direct: _I will find my big sister's real killer and clear Papa's name._

_Koda Kagome, niece of Nanami sensei. Into Gothic Lolita fashion and is a self-proclaimed psychic detective. Moved out after 'difficulties' with her stepfather. _Kyu thought for a while and added. _Probably has a huge crush on her uncle. _Those heated glances she often cast in Nanami's direction were unmistakeable.

"She worked in a maid café for a while but quit to tell fortunes at Harujuku," Kazuma added as he scrolled down the bio. "Had a twin sister, Arisu, who died when they were in kindergarten. Acute appendicitis." _Alice,_ Kyu made the connection with that doll.

_Erik Thorsen, nephew of the current Norwegian counsel to Japan. Parents deceased. Witnessed the brutal shooting of his parents. Infant sister remains missing…_ "Check out this article," Kazuma added as he opened a new window. "Erik survived because he hid under the kitchen sink… Johannesburg police suspected gangland connections and a case of mistaken identity… the Thorsens' killers were never…" Kazuma's voice rose as he became more excited. Someone a few terminals away stood up with an angry curse.

"Kazu-" Megumi hastily warned. Kazuma turned to find Erik's Thorsen's fist heading towards his face. He braced for the impact, which never came. Kyu had caught the full force of the punch by stepping between his friend and the blond. Clutching his aching stomach, Kyu hastily apologized. "Sorry, Thorsen-san. We shouldn't pry but-"

"Look here, I don't like you digging up my past," Erik grumbled, suddenly aware of the other eyes watching their exchange. "Some things I want to forget." He turned to go but Kyu placed a hand on his shoulder.

"But you never gave up looking for your sister, have you? The posts on the DDS forum from Thunderer… you're using the forum to trace your sister," Kyu asked calmly. "Would she be about Meiling's age now?"

"If you want to ask someone questions, ask that brat on wheels. He knows," Erik spat and wheeled around so he faced Kyu. "One day, I'll wipe that smug look off his face…"

"I don't know how I can help you, but don't give up."

"Eh?" Puzzlement showed in Erik's blue eyes.

"Don't give up looking for your sister no matter what they say. Because if you do, then the case will remain unsolved." There was an uneasy silence as Kyu and Erik stared at each other. Then the frown on Erik's face eased into a smile. "You're the first person to tell me that in a very long time." He blinked awkwardly and dabbed at the corners of his eyes with a sleeve.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **

Has Class Q gained another ally? Class E will get more time in the coming chapters. I guess all of them have a strong motive for joining DDS. I'm drawing on Kyu's 'never give up' attitude to his case-solving. Still, Class Q will be in some trouble when Nanami finds out they disobeyed his instructions.


	12. Never Forgive, Never Forget

Disclaimer: All the DDS characters belong to their creator.

**11. Never Forgive, Never Forget**

"Parfait sundaes here are great. My treat," Erik ordered four sundaes for them in a nearby ice-cream parlour. "Thanks," Megumi, Kyu and Kazuma thanked him as they tucked into their desserts. The older teen had shed his constant scowl.

"I'll come clean with you, Renjo-san," Erik spoke calmly. "My parents were murdered when I was six. I hid under the sink when they bust in the door. They were masked. I watched them shoot my father, then my mother execution-style…" he gouged at his sundae with his spoon but did not eat any of it. There was a moment of silence as the blond relived his experiences. "My sister was about one year old and my mother had just put her to bed before…"

"So she'll be about twelve now," Megumi deduced. Erik nodded. "When the police got there, she was gone. Her crib was empty. No blood, nothing. They searched the township but no leads. Then the case went cold. Inger has bond hair and blue eyes like me. I always wondered how Inge would be like now, wondering if she's cheerful like Meiling, she was always laughing as a baby…. My uncle continued searching for a while, sending detectives out but nothing. He gave up too."

"So you came to DDS to be a detective and to get in touch with detectives who could help you," Kyu deduced. "That's right," Erik replied. "But I was wrong about the detectives."

"What happened when you asked Bartley for help?" Kazuma asked

"I asked Bartley to help me get his father to help. The little worm said he would. He didn't."

"What happened?"

"He said he has forwarded the case info by email to his father, but he never did. I discovered it by chance when I was helping to fix the DDS main server. During the time he claimed to have email his father in America, no emails were sent there. When I confronted him, the little twerp said his father had better things to do that chase a cold case. How the odds of me finding her after so long are zero, how Inge was most likely dead, or how even if she was alive and I was to run into her on the streets today, we wouldn't know each other." Erik clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, his dislike for the handicapped boy apparent.

"That was not all, was it?"

"He said that if I hadn't hid under the sink so long like a coward but gone to the nursery immediately afterwards… I let her down," Erik buried his face in his hands.

"Thorsen-san, you can't change what has happened. I will not pretend that it will be easy to find her after so long. All I know is that you cannot give up," Kyu replied. Erik looked up.

"Beware of Junior Bartley, Renjo. He's a snake in the grass. He acts all innocence and helplessness about the principal and the others, but I have seen his other side. Just a glimpse, but…" The Norwegian shrugged. "Not only that. Miss St Clair... do you know she is looking for a missing husband and child? Bartley agreed to help her at first. Then he suddenly turned her down on the same excuse. Obviously the Bartleys hate cold cases…" Erik said sarcastically, scooped a spoon of his nearly liquid ice cream and ate it. "I want him away from Meiling… before she gets hurt." Blue eyes that have been soft earlier suddenly darkened and took on the hue of an artic sea.

* * *

"Think he's lying?" Megumi asked Kyu as they were driven home in Kazuma's limo. "Not likely," Kyu replied. The article in the Johannesburg Times was verified. Thunderer's requests for information and help on the DDS forum log did not appear false.

"I turned up something on St Clair sensei while checking out Thorsen's allegation on Bartley," Kazuma interjected. "She was married at one time to an Alex Kokuo. Had a child about one year later. Two months after the birth of the baby, she was found at a bus station with a bad case of amnesia, couldn't recall her son, or even being married. It's like the memories of the prior two years were wiped out…"

Her husband's car was found in a swamp a few months later, a baby chair in the passenger seat and vodka bottles on the floor. The police ruled it an accident, that Mr Kokuo had been drunk-driving and drove off the remote road into the swamp, where alligators and the climate would make short work of…"

"Hang on, did you say Kokuo?" Megumi cut in. "Isn't that Hades' real family name? Could the baby be Risa?"

"Unlikely. The incident happened to St Clair about fourteen years ago. Ryu's cousin would be at least four at the time. We have to check with Ryu if he has any other cousins," Kyu deduced. "The bit on St Clair-sensei's amnesia sounds like Pluto's work."

"The police could not prove exactly how St Clair wound up at the bus station with no external injuries other than a few bruises and light scratches. She later joined the police force before moving on to the Interpol. Then she joined DDS," Kazuma concluded. "Junior Bartley's bio data is outstanding if you take the fact he has been his father's link to the outside world since Ken Bartley went reclusive… I find it difficult to believe he would intentionally be cruel to Thorsen. Maybe Thorsen misunderstood…" Kazuma keyed in a few commands on his laptop.

"Meiling's father was caught trying to dispose of a body, one of his fellow performers. He refused to cooperate with the Shanghai police and they eventually arrested him for murder based on the evidence. Koda Kagome's family also made the news once. Her twin died from illness while they were left home alone … Honestly, I can't picture any of them as Pluto members…"

* * *

_DDS Principal's office_

Nanami Kotaro flipped through St Clair's file. Theodora St Clair sat across the table from him. "It doesn't matter if you believe me or not. I have no memory whatsoever of my husband. In fact, I don't even have anything to remind me of him," with that bitter retort, she stormed out. Nanami sighed. A routine check into the backgrounds of those at the hostel had turned out something really unexpected. He had missed it himself when they were reviewing St Clair's bio.

"Alex Kokuo… Alexis Kokuo…" The detective opened a yellowed file. The photo on the first page showed a man with dark hair and beard. His eyes were odd coloured, one green and one brown, as Nanami recalled. He had worked this case with Detective Dan years ago, one of their toughest cases. Although they eventually recovered the stolen jewels, the thief escaped for lack of evidence. Loki was the name he went by. They had almost been friends during their brief acquaintance.

* * *

"_It's good you found the jewel but it's a shame you didn't catch Loki. You will return the brooch to its rightful owner, wouldn't you?" _

"_Alexis-san, you aren't just a simple antique dealer, are you?" Nanami asked. The laughter of children drifted from the playground nearby. The man laughed. "Kotaro-san, you have been in the sun too long… I'm just an honest antique dealer trying to bring up my little boy…" he paused to wave to a tiny boy on the swings. _

"_Thanks for your help on the jewelled egg case and the van Gogh painting case… but tell me, when does a man who deals in antique have interest in a recently designed and cut emerald brooch?" _

"_Young man, one day, even that brooch will be an antique… you are thinking too much," the antique dealer got up and called to his son. The boy sprinted to his father's side. Nanami noticed the lad shared the same odd eyes as his father. "I know you are Loki the art thief," Nanami added softly. "It's a real pity. Dan-sensei always said you'd make a good detective…" _

"_Prove it. Till then, sayonara." Alexis Kokuo carried his son on his shoulders and walked off. Nanami had no definite proof to stop him from leaving. Neither did he wish to do so, not with Alexis' young son present. _

* * *

That was the last time he saw Loki. He had a grudging respect for the man. The brooch recovered was eventually returned to its rightful owner. Strangely, it was not the client who had sought their aid in the first place. The jewel had been stolen from a small jeweller in Paris. The jeweller eventually became famous for his revolutionary designs once the brooch came to light. Loki gained little from his escapades. Most involved the recovery and return of art items taken underhandedly. Artwork looted by the Nazis in Europe was Loki's main target, along with paintings stolen from museums for private collectors. Still, he broke the law.

Alex Kokuo was presumed dead… He met Alexis Kokuo four years after St Clair's amnesia… It made no sense. St Clair had to know if her husband was involved in art theft. Or was that the reason for her amnesia? Loki showed no signs of being linked to Pluto in any way apart from the name Kokuo, which could be a coincidence…

The phone rang just as he tidying his desk. "Hello?"

Nanami was answered by the frantic voice of a woman. There were high-pitched squeals of pain in the background. "Give me that," a voice broke in as the receiver was passed to a calmer person. "Hello? Uncle Kotaro? Kagome here, calling from Eden House, I mean All Saint's…"

"What happened?" He immediately thought of the worst. "Meiling got her head stuck between the window grilles and we can't get her unstuck. Shall I call the fire department?"

"Yes, Kagome, please do so." Relief washed over him. "Please try to keep her calm and stop them from tugging on her so that they will not hurt her before the professionals get…"

"Don't hurt Meiling? Right, I'll call the fire brigade now." The line went dead. Nanami did not like the tone of Kagome's voice. Every little thing he said seemed to annoy his niece recently. He opened a file which Hougou had passed to him before leaving DDS. He realized he was looking at an old case. There had been a new lead which someone in Class E would be very interested in following.

There was a note attached to the case: "_Too personal, not to let that child get involved. Assign to some other class_." Nanami took his sombrero off its hook thoughtfully.

**Author's Notes:**

A new case?


	13. Sweet Sonata

Disclaimer: All the DDS characters belong to their creator.

This is one main plot with mini sub cases. Ryu's in for more trouble.

* * *

**12. Sweet Sonata **

Ryu tossed and turned in bed, before getting up and walking over to the window. Those pills Maki-sensei prescribed worked, for a while at least. He had an uneasy sense of being watched. It was dark outside. The street appeared quiet and deserted. Ryu sighed. He was edgy. Every other shadow could hide a Pluto member, or even Risa. He was certain Risa masterminded Kuniko's death and that she was one of them at Eden House, possibly even in DDS. He went to the answering machine and played back the messages.

"Amakusa? Yukihira here. What's the big idea with the no-show at…" Yukihira sounded real angry. No wonder too.

"Ryu, I know you probably want some quiet, but we're worried. Call us up, okay?" Ryu made a mental note to return Kyu's call in the morning.

"Ryu? Dad here. I have some problems with the project. Afraid I'll have to take another three months in the States…" Relief washed over Ryu. His father would be safer in America than in Japan.

"Amakusa, I got your number from the DDS records. Sorry about that rock the other day. You wouldn't tell the teachers, will you?" Erik Thorsen was curt and not particularly remorseful. Having reached the end, he was getting ready to leave when the phone rang. "Hello?" Ryu answered it, wondering who could be calling at this hour.

"Amakusa, it wasn't meant to happen that way." The voice was almost hysterical and vaguely familiar. "You got to stop- No!" The voice was cut off suddenly in a scuffle. Ryu's blood froze. "Hello? Answer me!"

"Ryu-chan, sorry about that. Jormungand was having his nightmares again. Kero's dealing with him now. It's a pity about your girlfriend though, I expect more from you." It was Risa. Her tone was conversational, as if she was discussing the weather. "Ready for another game now?"

"Risa, stop this. This is not a game." Ryu gripped the receiver so hard his knuckles turned white. Kuniko didn't deserve to get killed. "Ah, but this is so much fun. Who shall we play with this time?" Risa laughed softly.

"Leave my friends alone!" Ryu yelled and flung the phone across the room. Satisfied, Risa hung up and entered the room where Fenrir and Kerberos had dragged Jormungand. Kerberos had left to attend to more pressing matters, leaving the unfortunate Jormungand at Fenrir's mercy.

"What were you thinking, Ryunosuke?" Fenrir hissed as he used his knee to press on the younger boy's back. A sock stuffed into Ryunosuke's mouth prevented him from screaming. "Easy, little brother. You don't want to kill him now…" Risa injected Ryunosuke with a sedative. He went quiet and his eyes took on a dull look.

"You shouldn't have let him mix with those people, Sister," Fenrir growled in Russian. "Like they say, lie with dogs; get up with fleas."

"Sit him up, Fenrir," Risa urged and held up a silver rosary. "I have an idea."

* * *

"Feeling better, Meiling?" Kyu asked gently. The Chinese girl nodded. Her neck still bore bruises from her unfortunate encounter with the window grille. She tickled the tummy of the striped kitten at her feet. "Mimi got up a tree. I stuck up my head out to get a better look. Then I got stuck. Naughty girl, Mimi… It's a pity they had to ruin the grille."

"Yes, it is a pity," Megumi cast a look at the ornate grille which had given the hostel its name. The firemen had to cut out the section of the grille which showed Adam. Still Megumi thought the cast iron portrayal of Eve with the apple was a work of art. Kyu cast a look in Ryu's direction. The teen was silent. It had taken a good deal of work to corner Ryu outside his high school then pester him to join them. Kyu had the nagging feeling Ryu was avoiding them.

"Come, I show you my little kitties!" Meiling chirped and dragged Megumi out. Kyu waited until the girls were out of the room. "Ryu, are you avoiding us?" Kyu asked. Ryu looked up. "Yes."

"Why?" Kyu asked. "Because of them. Don't you get it?" Ryu replied waspishly, the stress of the past days catching up to him. "Risa's playing a game with me and Kuniko-san was a casualty. I don't want anyone else hurt…"

"Then we have to catch them, don't we?" Kyu peered out the window to see Meiling showing off her cats to Megumi. Erik was sitting up a large tree with his laptop with one of the hostel's cats on his shoulders. "Cookies?" St Clair called out an invitation as she stepped out of the kitchen with a tray of fresh-baked cookies. A nun followed with another tray. Kyu recognized her as Sister Anna.

"Would you boys like some tea?" she asked sweetly. "Cookies! Cookies…" Meiling sprinted in and snatched one off the tray. "Oh, oh-oh! Hot! Hot!" she tossed it from hand to hand. Even Ryu had to smile at that. "Cut that out, Meiling!" Kagome yelled snappishly as she stomped down the stairs.

"Lay off, Kagome. Just because you got blown off doesn't mean you could pick on Meiling," Erik strolled in, laptop under his arm and cat gone from his shoulder. Megumi joined them. Kagome glared daggers at Erik, who shrugged. "You should know better, Koda-san. Certain relations are socially taboo." Tension crackled like electricity as the teens faced off. "Erik-kun, that's enough. Kagome-nee is upset enough," Meiling cut in. Kagome flipped her hair over her shoulder and stalked out. "Kagome, wait…" St Clair put down her tray and hurried after Kagome.

"Should we save some cookies for Junior?" Meiling asked. "Forget it. if he wants them, he can get them himself," Erik replied. The doorbell jangled. Sister Anna excused herself and glided out with a swish of her habit. She returned with their visitor.

"MEILING!" A slim teenager with pigtails enveloped Meiling in a fierce bear-hug. The small girl let out a squeal of surprise. "Meiyan! What are you doing here?" The sisters swiftly switched into an animated conversation in Mandarin. "They look very alike," Megumi remarked. Meiyan was an older version of Meiling in every aspect.

"This is my big sister, Meiyan. My family's in Tokyo! The whole troupe," Meiling introduced Meiyan. The older girl fished out a handful of tickets from her purse. "We'll be performing at the Star Festival." Meiyan foisted them on those present. "Invite your friends to see the show, baby sister!"

"Flowers on Ice?" Kyu frowned as he glanced at the ticket. "We combine ballet with ice-skating," Meiyan explained. "We will be doing a compilation of scenes from classical ballet… Olga and Maria will be dancing as Odette and Odile in the Swan Lake segment… Oh, Meiling, we have so much to catch up on!" She took Meiling's hands in hers. "Let's go to my room!" Meiling suggested. The giggling sisters left the kitchen.

"Miss Meiyan, you dropped something!" Kyu noticed a name card on the floor. However, the sisters have already sprinted up to Meiling's room. "Hougou Tatsumi, DDS," Megumi read the name over his shoulder.

"Amakusa-san, do you need someone to talk to? You seem rather troubled… Perhaps we could help you?" Sister Anna asked gently and placed a hand on Ryu's shoulder. Ryu smiled sadly and shook his head. No one could help him… "Hey, Sister, shouldn't you go check on our patient? Bartley's taken a long time to get up today. Maybe he's fallen out of bed and hit his head," Erik interrupted. Sister Anna gave the blond a look which could be described as murderous before going to Junior's room.

* * *

_Meiling's room._

"So, what did you find out, sis?" Meiling asked sombrely in Mandarin as she sat on the edge of her bed. "_Mei,_ quit DDS and come back to us," Meiyan asked.

"Why? Father's…"

"Sometimes the truth is better buried. Don't dig into it anymore."

"Why?" Meiling sobbed. Her sister enveloped her in a hug. "Sorry, _mei._ You continue at DDS if you want and become a detective, but don't look into Qingqing's death."

"Father didn't do it, did he?"

"Of course not, silly. Father will never hurt an ant…"

"Then who killed Qingqing-jie?" Meiling sobbed softly. Meiyan sighed. It's been almost a decade since that terrible incident. In her pocket was a card. _Pluto- Consultants of Innovative Solutions. Perfection guaranteed._ She found it in the troupe's dressing room at the last performance. Maybe it was time she called them…

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Jie – Mandarin term for big sister.

Mei – Mandarin term for little sister.

Pluto will be involved in this case.


	14. Loki's Children

Disclaimer: All the DDS characters belong to their creator.

* * *

**13. Loki's Children**

Kerberos observed the performers pirouetting and leaping on the rink. He could have easily been mistaken as a technician preparing the stage for the performances. One of the skaters suddenly detached from the troupe and skated over to the side of the rink. The skater called out some excuse to the others, who continued their routine.

"Well, are you sure it will work? The price…" The words came in a whisper. Kerberos frowned inwardly. The price was ridiculously low. King Hades would never consider such a job. He would probably be turning over in his grave, if he weren't cremated. Still it was Lady Hel's instructions. The small troupe though talented, had little funds. "It's a special. You pay a token fee first. After it is done, we collect the rest of it." As if a few thousand yen would cover their operating expenses. Satisfied, their newest customer handed over a wad of notes. Kerberos handed over the plan in a nondescript envelope. The customer left for the dressing room.

"Unhappy, Kero-kun?" Kerberos almost leapt out of his skin at the voice. He turned round slowly and was not surprised to find Lady Hel and Master Fenrir there.

"Hel, the costs…"

"Never mind the costs… they shouldn't be a problem," Hel shrugged prettily.

"Remember your place, Kerberos," Fenrir hissed a warning. Hel clutched his arm firmly. Fenrir recognized the silent warning and backed off sulkily. "Now for the invitation…" Hel smiled and patted her large purse. "Do you think Ryu-chan likes a good performance?"

* * *

"Ryu. Don't go disappearing on us like that," Kinta complained. "When we couldn't reach you on your phone…"

"We were so worried something happened…" Megumi added.

"Sorry. I had to make a trip out of town… and I forgot my phone," Ryu replied. Kinta groaned. The last time Ryu disappeared on a trip like that, he ended up ensnared in a Pluto murder plot. "You should've told me. We could have gone on the trip together…" Kyu interjected. "In the middle of the intensive remedial classes you got signed up for this summer?" Megumi glanced askew at her classmate. "Really, Kyu. Maybe that is a good idea. Get Ryu to tutor you for English. You seriously need help in that subject."

"Waah, Megumi! You just reminded me, I am late for my remedial!" Kyu grabbed his schoolbag and sprinted off. "You suggested the other day at the hostel that Risa may be working with surviving Pluto members, so I went to check out some records at Grandfather's, I mean, Hades' hometown…" Ryu continued.

* * *

"Hades was married to a Russian woman?" Kyu exclaimed over the phone. It was a bombshell. Mixed marriages were not common back then. Megumi continued. "Yes, it was a secret marriage. The bride, Vera, was from a family with ties to the old European nobility. They had a son, Alexis Kokuo, who was born shortly after Hades disappeared. Ryu came across a copy of the birth certificate in the town register. Vera presumed her husband was dead, remarried and moved to Germany. It was many years later that she and her son returned to Japan."

"So did Alexis know about his real father?" Kyu asked. "Was Alexis a member of Pluto?"

"There is no clear proof whether Alexis was involved in Pluto. Alexis married a Japanese woman, Sagara Yukiko. The marriage was quite well-covered in the news at that time because Sagara was a leading pianist in Japan. She died of complications arising from childbirth. A few months later, Alexis Kokuo left Japan. His baby daughter was left with his mother. Ryu never met Alexis Kokuo, but we can presume from the dates that Alexis' daughter is Risa."

"Then St Clair-sensei's baby…"

"Nothing is clear yet. Kazuma hasn't found much leads on that. The baby was a healthy boy. If Alexis and the child really died in that swamp…" Megumi frowned. _Alexis…_ The name bothered her. "Megu! What about Vera? Could we look her up?"

"She's been dead for a good five years. Heart disease, it seems."

* * *

In the study, Ryu closed his eyes and tried to gather his thoughts, throwing them back to his childhood. Risa obviously inherited her talent from her mother. He glanced at the old photo he had obtained from his trip. A young man, Hades, stood next to a beautiful young woman with an aristocratic aura despite her simple clothes. _Grandma Vera…_ Risa had called her.

"_Isn't having Tatiana enough for you?" The shrill voice could be heard down the corridor. "It's Grandma Vera again," Risa rolled her eyes and lifted her fingers from the ivory keys. "Come on, Ryu. Let's see what she wants." Young Ryu nodded and took her hand. _

"_Vera! Be reasonable. Ryoma needs the operation and the island is not exactly a good place for recuperation." The sound of breaking china echoed down the hallway. The children peered into the room. Hades was pressed up against the far wall with the remains of a Ming vase at his feet. _

"_No! Hoshihiko, I am not going to lose him to you or anything! Do you know he has an 80 percent chance of dying during that operation?" The white-haired woman flung the vase's twin across the room, narrowly missing Hades' head. A masked man was trying to restrain her but she shook his arm off. "He is not your Ryoma, Hoshihiko. He will be heir to my estate, not your-" "Everyone dies, eventually…" Risa muttered under her breath, clearly annoyed by the grownups' antics. She tugged Ryu away from the commotion. _

Grandma Vera was dead. Ryu wondered if 'Ryoma' was still alive. Risa's Russian name was Tatiana. He had forgotten that. She used that name to enrol in the Carnegie music academy… The Kyuzuryu family tree was getting a lot more complicated. He flipped open a book on Norse mythology he had borrowed from the library. Hel was the Norse goddess of the underworld. She was born to Loki, the God of Mischief, and had two monstrous brothers, Fenrir the wolf and Jormungand the serpent.

"Ragnarok… the twilight of the gods…" Ryu gasped as he continued reading. An ominous feeling washed over him. Outside the Amakusa house, Kerberos slipped an envelope into the letterbox and cycled away whistling. It was the fifth and last one.

* * *

"I thought Meiling's sister gave us all free tickets to the premiere…" Megumi remarked the next day at school. Kyu looked up from his bento.

"I don't think these are from Meiling…" Kyu gingerly picked up the envelope. Their names were printed in block letters and a letter was included with the ticket. "Dear d-detective Kyu, you have been invited to attend a performance not to be forgetting…" Kyu stumbled over the English words. "At the Star Festival…"

"It's forgotten, Kyu," Megumi corrected. "Do you think something will happen at the show? We better inform Nanami-sensei…"

"I agree…" Kyu put aside his bento. Megumi continued. "Kyu, last night we were discussing Ryu's family when I remembered something. Alexis. I saw a similar name recently. _Alex and Dora._ That's the inscription. It may be a coincidence… I mean, Alex is a common name in America and Europe, Alexander, Alessandro, Alexei… Kyu, I'm afraid something bad will happen again… " Kyu put an arm round Megumi. He drew closer…

"Whoa! Finally you two are kissing!" Kinta suddenly popped up from the bushes behind them. "KINTA! We're not!" _No thanks to you,_ Kyu added inside. Kazuma popped up next to Kintaro. "Sorry… didn't want to disturb you… Actually, we all received similar letters," Kazuma explained. "The invitation is signed 'Loki's child'."

"Who's Loki?" Kyu asked. "The Norse God of Mischief," Ryu joined them. "I've been reading up. Hel, Fenrir and Jormungand are his children."

"Loki is also the alias of an infamous art thief who was never caught," Kazuma added. "I sneaked into the DDS files again last night. Principal Dan came very close to nabbing him but he got away… The suspect was an art dealer, Alexis Kokuo. No evidence was found though the goods were recovered. The last known case Loki was implicated in happened about eight years ago. He probably retired after that. Think this is linked to Kuniko's…"

"So you have been sneaking into the files. Didn't I tell you to stop digging into the case?" A voice bellowed out and a large cactus popped up from the flowerbed nearby. "NANAMI-SENSEI!" All the Class Q members fell flat on the ground in shock.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Looks like Nanami finally caught onto Kazuma's hacking into the DDS files.

It is kind of interesting how many common names we have for various names. Alex can be short for Alexander or Alexandra. And Grandma Vera's a real spitfire. Wonder if Risa inherit a bit from her as well.


	15. Matinee

Disclaimer: All the DDS characters belong to their creator.

I need to clarify something here. In the manga series, Hades is revealed at the end to be Ryu's granduncle, not his grandfather. No idea on the anime version though. So no Russian blood in Ryu, as far as things go. It would be nice to have Ryu related to nobility though. He does have a sort of princely air about him.

Risa is the one with Russian blood in her veins, and she is technically Ryu's second cousin.

Yes, Nanami will give the guys something to think about, especially Kazuma.

* * *

**14. Matinee**

"Too bad Kinta and Kazuma can't join us," Kyu said as he took his seat. Kinta had his part-time job to attend to. After much apologizing to Nanami, Kazuma was stuck at DDS, to perform a little community service to make up for the hacking he had carried out. "Nanami-sensei did tell us to keep away…" Ryu looked around uncertainly. Risa could be anywhere in the audience.

"We are just here for the show, not investigations…" Kyu insisted. "Will the two of you pipe down? The show is starting…" Megumi complained. Ryu spotted an energetic Meiling bouncing up and down in her seat a few rows away. Beside her was her Norwegian classmate. Erik firmly put a hand on Meiling's head and pressed her down into her seat. The lights dimmed and the first performers glided into the rink.

The story slowly unfolded, a retelling of the ballet classics of _Giselle, Swan Lake_ and _La Sylphide_. The skaters somersaulted and pirouetted with almost superhuman agility and skill. Qin Meiyan, Meiling's sister had explained to them the plot and stories behind the different acts. As the shade of the tragic Giselle skated around her beloved, an ominous snoring sounded from Megumi's left.

"Kyu? Are you sleeping?" Megumi nudged Kyu. "Zzz? No, Megu…" Kyu yawned loudly. He never liked ballet. Give him a good action movie anytime. Megumi silently swore that she would never ever attend a concert with Kyu.

* * *

"Nanami-sensei… I promise never to hack into the system again…" Kazuma pleaded. "May I go now?"

"No, you have to key in all these records as well," Nanami indicated the boxes of old Detective Dan Agency case files stacked on the shelves. Kazuma groaned and stretched his arms, accidentally jostling a loose shelf. CRASH!

Shaken, Kazuma poked his head out from the pile of assorted letters, papers and files. "You have to tidy them up now," Nanami shrugged. Koda Kagome entered the room, dressed in mini shorts and a skimpy tank top designed to expose as much bosom as possible. She still held Alice in her arms. "Hello, Nanami…" Nanami coughed and made up some half-hearted excuse to leave the room. Kagome rolled her eyes and pouted. She blocked the only exit out.

"Nanami Kotaro, quit avoiding me."

"Kagome, not here… I explained the other day…" Nanami started looking like a trapped animal as he backed away.

"I have only 3 things to say. One, I love you, Nanami. Two, I don't mind the age difference. Three, quit using the uncle-niece argument as we both know we're not really related biologically since Grandpa adopted you… so I guess that should be okay…" The young woman closed in.

"Kagome, that isn't the point! I only think of you as my niece…" Nanami frowned. "Excuse me! I'll sort these out outside!" Kazuma seized a handful of papers from the floor and fled. The last thing he needed was to be caught in the middle of some Nanami family squabble.

* * *

"The show's ending," Megumi observed in a whisper. Kyu yawned. A pair of performers skated about each other in the final act. The female peeled away gracefully and glided towards the exit like a colourful bird. Kyu suddenly leapt up. _Something was very wrong!_ "Kyu?" Megumi chided. Kyu shoved his way to the aisle. Ryu was close on his heels. The lone skater looked forlorn and confused circling the empty rink.

The stricken performer was lying on the floor with her concerned colleagues round her. A man bending over her had her wrist in one hand and felt for a pulse. He lifted his head and called out some commands in a language the boys did not recognize. Immediately, a pair of performers skated out, keeping tune with the music. Each took a position on each side of the lone skater and circled him. The man suddenly buckled, hands on his chest. The two caught him neatly before he hit the ice. The music ended and spotlights dimmed.

"Yosh!" A heavily accented voice cried out. It belonged to an elderly man who was clapping fiercely a few rows up. Applause spread and rippled through the audience. Few in the audience would guess that someone was dying.

One of the performers, a woman bent over the victim, massaging her temples and rubbing her forearms. She unlaced the skates and made to pull them off. The man seized her hand before she could remove the skates. He spoke some words. The woman got up, ran off and returned with a bottle of strong-smelling oil which they applied liberally to the victim's temples. Another performer, a young girl, loosened the tightly laced costume. The trio who were on the ice made their way back. The old man limped his way down, crutches tapping on the steps. One of the girls rushed over to aid him. One of his legs ended just below the knee.

Medics now bent over the victim, trying in vain to resuscitate her. "Please, sir, we're…" Kyu tried to speak to the tall man who was most likely the troupe leader. The man frowned and shooed them away with angry words. "Get Meiling to help. He's her brother," Erik volunteered. Meiling was staring wide-eyed at the commotion, one hand in Erik's.

"Hey, kids, get out of here," the first security officer had arrived. Kyu reached into his pocket but Erik beat him to it. "DDS," Erik calmly fished out his student badge. "Request permission to observe and assist." He flashed the most roguish smile possible and winked at Kyu.

"I never liked her," Meiling was blasé though subdued. She was kneeling by the corpse. Her elder sister Meiyan was at her side. She looked almost doll-like with her thick stage makeup. The troupe members were chattering like excited magpies while their leader tried to impose some order. He succeeded in shooing some of the younger members towards the dressing room.

"Megumi…" Kyu nudged. Megumi nodded and scanned the knot of onlookers and performers. Already, she had imprinted the events that occurred into her memory. "I'm glad she's dead," Meiling whispered softly in an icy tone. The old man stood beside Meiling and placed a wrinkled hand gently on her head. He barked a command in his language and all the gawking troupe members scampered for the dressing rooms where they would all remain for questioning later by the police.

* * *

"Oh man, an old-fashioned letter from Ken Bartley the Cyber Sleuth to Principal Dan," the bespectacled teen pored over his prize in the safety of the gents. He always thought Ken Bartley used email instead of pen and paper. The envelope had not even been opened, having arrived shortly after Dan's illness had rendered him unable to manage DDS. It was a stroke of luck he had seized the letter when fleeing earlier. _Should he keep it or return it to the filing room with the other not-so-exciting letters?_ The thing could be worth millions on eBay…

_Well, technically it's Morihiko Dan's property, not DDS' and he could pass it to his niece Yukihira when she gets back from Hokkaido in, well, two month's time. _Kazuma decided. He peeled open the flap…

* * *

"Victim is Chang Haiyan. Cause of death is poison applied on the inner soles of her skates … It entered the bloodstream through the skin. It took about twenty minutes to act. Highly toxic," Erik reported before the class. "Nasty stuff causes numbness and paralysis of the lungs and eventual death. The skates are normally left unattended in dressing rooms before the show. Anyone with a backstage pass could have access." He frowned at the sound of Junior playing a jaunty melody on a harmonica. Meiling was humming along as she knelt with her arms crossed in the boy's lap. Kagome was absent.

"Junior, Meiling …" St Clair warned. Erik threw up his notes in frustration and stomped out "This class is a mess," Ryu whispered to Kyu from the back of the class.

"I never liked that woman. She's a liar. I am glad she got killed," Meiling looked up. "She lied, Papa got into trouble and Qingqing's real killer got off…" Junior Bartley launched into a Ragtime Medley.

* * *

"Miss Qin?" Hougou looked up from his coffee. Meiyan sat down at his table and lowered her sunglasses. "Hougou-san. Thank you for helping me so far."

"You wish to terminate my services?" Hougou frowned. The sudden death of a performer at the Star Festival had not gone unnoticed. "Yes," Meiyan paused to order a cup of tea. "The palm and the back of the hand, they are of the same flesh. I'm afraid that if we dig deeper, more will be hurt. After all, it has been years since my father's death. Some things are better buried. Sometimes the truth is too cruel."

"If it is your wish… but the Japanese police will look into the death yesterday…" Hougou sipped his coffee. It was a strong dark one. "Will DDS be looking into this? If yes, please keep my sister away from this case," Meiyan asked.

"I can't, Miss Qin. I have left the School," Hougou replied. _Let's hope Nanami is smart enough not to put Class E on this one. _

* * *

"Nanami-san, your niece has not been attending classes recently. Meiling's heart isn't in it at all. Erik Thorsen's taken off in a temper. He told Sister Anna at the hostel he was going to stay with his uncle in Nagasaki for a while," St Clair reported. "I suggest we out another class on this one."

The problem was all other classes were away and busy. Nanami frowned and wondered if he should have kept Hougou. Let him instil some discipline in Class E. "Put Class Q on this. After all, they were at the performance. Amakusa, Renjo and Minami…" The redhead teacher added. Nanami knew he had little choice once he heard that both Kyu and Ryu were already involved.

"How about Bartley?"

"He reassures me he is fine, but I am afraid the recent events are a strain on his health. I've asked Sister Anna to watch out for him… Life threw that boy a bad hand, illness, disability and all. His father does not seem to care much about him. No phones or gifts from home like Meiling gets. Independent as he is, he's still just a kid. May God be good to him," St Clair sighed.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Well, Kazuma never learns, will he? Nanami has a big problem with his niece. Class E is falling apart again as they seem to do on a regular basis. Class Q Premium (1 volume) sequel to the manga series has been released. In it, we see Class Q 2 years later with new cases. And Nanami is the new DDS principal as expected. Oh, and Kerberos makes a cameo in it too.


	16. Grandpa Qin

Disclaimer: All the DDS characters belong to their creator.

* * *

**15. Grandpa Qin**

"Gee, it is nice of Principal Nanami to let us work on this case," Kyu remarked and flipped through the file as they walked down the corridor. "Remember what he said. If there is any danger, we are to contact him and the police immediately," Megumi reminded. They all wore their DDS watches with the tracking systems switched on. The system allowed them to be located by the DDS science faculty. Kazuma would be assisting them from a base at DDS while Kintaro had been designated as backup. They would be working in the field with what's left of Class E after both Erik and Kagome left. Junior Bartley looked so pale and listless, St Clair asked him to see Maki-sensei and return to his hostel for a rest. The minute they reached the theatre, Meiling had slipped off alone.

"Meiling is not very forthcoming. The police had to release the troupe for no evidence. They will be performing until the end of the festival in two week's time," Ryu added. "They distrust our police on top of the language barrier." He watched Meiyan and Meiling emerge from a dressing room. The sisters were walking with their heads close, whispering. "Meiling! We need to speak…" Kyu ran forward. Immediately, a wiry young man in his twenties stepped in front of him. He wore a nondescript blue Chinese-style shirt and pants.

"Leave my sister alone," he spoke in halting Japanese. "But I need to ask," Kyu tried to step past him, only to be pushed back. "Go. We do not what to speak with you," the man growled.

"Need help, buddy?" A familiar voice called out. "Kinta!"

"Kazuma-chan shouldn't have problems back at DDS but I thought you guys may need some help…" The oldest member of Class Q confronted the Chinese performer. "Listen here, we just need to ask them a few harmless questions…Oof!" Kinta's knees suddenly buckled and he fell to the floor clutching his stomach. He hadn't seen that coming. "Kinta!" Kyu helped him up.

"If that's the way it's gonna be…" Kinta threw a punch. "Kinta! No!" The last thing they needed was a full-blown fistfight. Kinta's opponent was quicker. He dodged Kinta's punch and landed one of his own.

"Feilong!" The one-legged old man from the matinee called out as he limped towards the commotion. The young Chinese man hesitated. The old man said something in his own tongue. The belligerence bled out of the young man like air from a balloon. "Sorry…" he bowed shamefacedly. "Please forgive my foolish grandson," the old man spoke fluent Japanese. His eyes had an alert but guarded look about them. "It is best if we talk elsewhere. My little granddaughter, she trusts you," he turned to Kyu. "She is right. You can see a man's soul in his eyes."

He looked at Megumi. "It is best if you ask your girlfriend to leave. There are some things not for a woman's ears."

"But…" Megumi interrupted. The old man gave her a glare. "It is best if you speak to my granddaughters, Olga and Natasha, Miss Detective. They should be rehearsing now." The tone of the old man's voice reminded Megumi of Hougou-sensei when he would not accept any arguments.

* * *

The three Class Q guys were seated on a low bench in front of the old man. Feilong, the grandson hovered near the door, occasionally peering out to check the corridor.

"About Chen Haiyan, does she have any enemies?" Ryu asked. The official statement described the victim as well-liked and a talented performer. Under police questioning, the troupe had not volunteered any useful information. The old man shrugged. "Too many to count. You must understand that few in the troupe trust the police."

"She used underhanded means to get where she was," Feilong added curtly.

"Was it because of what happened to Meiling's father?" Kyu blurted out before Ryu could stop him. A pained expression crossed the faces of both the old man and his grandson. "My son, he was a good man…"

* * *

Megumi found the two performers stretching at rink side. The girls were identical twins around Megumi's age dressed in matching white skating uniforms. Their features were a mix of both European and Asian characteristics. One of the girls was stretching in what seemed a painful position with her legs and arms outstretched and her head bent almost to her knees. "Er, excuse me. I am from Dan Detective School. May I ask a few questions please?" Megumi asked. The girls busied themselves tying on their skates. "About Miss Chen Haiyan…"

The sisters exchanged glances. "I am Olga," one of the girls introduced herself. "I'm Natasha," he twin added. If it is about that dead bitch…" "Good riddance," her twin concluded. "She's a snob." "She insisted Brother Yulong give her a separate dressing room." "That's right. And she isn't that good a skater… No poise at all…" Megumi raised a hand to slow the torrent of complaints to no avail. They continued like the twittering of sparrows. "They say she tried to sleep her way into the top troupe in Shanghai back then…" "But failed…" "Grandpa let her join our troupe because her grandfather was his…" "Comrade-in-arms…" "Father wanted to throw her out…" "Aunt Rui was the better skater, before her accident…" "Then there was Big Sis dying…" Olga and Natasha took off onto the rink suddenly, interweaving and leaping like two silvery streaks of lightning before stopping in the centre of the rink.

"Minami-san, so which one of us is which?" one of the girls called out impishly. "Here's the deal. If you guess right, we will tell you what you wish to know. If not, you will have to leave." Megumi frowned. The twins skated back in. "Well?"

"Aha!" she saw it. "You are Olga and you are Natasha. Olga's laces were threaded right over left and Natasha's left over right."

A handsome man in a suit stood up in the stands and clapped. "Bravo, no one has been able to tell them apart before on their first meeting." Megumi recognized the man's companion as the man who had taken charge of the situation on the night of the death. "Zhang Hao, troupe manager," he introduced himself. "This here is Qin Yulong, our leading man."

* * *

"So you aren't convinced Meiling's dad is a killer?" Kinta asked. The old man nodded. "It was a difficult time back then," Grandpa Qin explained. "My eldest grandson, Yulong, he's the prince in the second act, had run away from home then. Rui fell down the stairs and broke her ankle. Such an injury was the end of her onstage career. Meiling and Meiyan's mother was filing for divorce then. Qingqing, our top female lead wanted to leave. Father and daughter fought often. Still, my son would never hurt his child but I may be wrong. How you say… Blood is thicker than water." The old man shrugged.

"That woman told the police she overheard Father fighting with Big Sister," Feilong added. "Sister had someone she wanted to marry but Father thought she was too young at 17. He asked her to wait a few more years but she wasn't too happy about it."

"Of course she wasn't," Meiyan's voice echoed in the storeroom. She held Feilong's wrist in her hand. "Has DDS started digging into my father's case? Leave it alone. It has nothing to do with this!" she hissed. "Meiyan, paper cannot wrap fire without burning," her grandfather said calmly. "I know you have been searching too. What have you found that troubles you so much, my little swallow? Such work is not suited for a woman."

"Grandpa, it's the 21st century! Please don't tell me what a woman can or can't do!" Meiyan exclaimed and stormed off.

* * *

"I ended up at the café with Olga and Natasha," Megumi explained. "They informed me Haiyan's skates were replaced shortly before the show. The blade broke. A rare occurrence. Their costumes manager, Rui, the Chinese woman who was with her after her collapse, had to scramble to find suitable ones. Haiyan's character had very fanciful footwear. Their choreographer, Yulong, that's Meiling's eldest brother, volunteered a pair of skates of similar design belonging to his deceased sister. The skates were left lying on the floor in the common dressing room while Yulong tried to talk the victim into wearing them. Haiyan was a bit squeamish about wearing a dead person's footwear. Yulong was upset too. He felt it was disrespectful to his sister's memory but the show must go on."

"The twins don't seem to be lying. Their mother wasn't officially married to Meiling's father so they were living apart from the Qins until four years ago when their mother got sick. They were not too aware of what happened then. Kyu, are you sure looking into that cold case will help?" Megumi asked.

The Qin family was a complicated one, given that Meiling's late father had his eight children by four different women. The detectives paused to review their facts. Yulong and his late sister were the eldest, born of a Kazak mother who eventually abandoned them. They were followed by Feilong and his identical twin Shaolong, born of a Chinese woman who died in an accident. Megumi had met Shaolong when he and his twin came to the café to fetch the half-Russian sisters. The coincidence had struck her at that time. Meiyan and Meiling both shared the same mother. Grandfather and Yulong ran the troupe.

"Kinta, do you have the information on the skates from DDS?" Kyu asked. Kinta handed over the thick file on their case. "I asked Kazuma to check up the old case. We may have some info if DDC was called in by Meiyan." Ryu was staring out of the window distractedly.

"_Young man," the old grandfather had called Ryu aside just as they were leaving the theatre. "You have a look about you that is that of a soldier who survived enemy fire and is now waiting in a ditch for enemy shells to fall on his head. I heard from Meiling what happened. Mourn, if you need to. Then get back to living. When I was a young soldier not much older then you, I was a soldier. My unit came under enemy fire. I was the leader after our commanding officer took a bullet to the head. I ordered the survivors into a nearby field for cover…"_

_The old man paused to catch his breath, his eyes staring as if into a distant time. "It was a minefield. Of the fifteen boys who survived the machine guns, we lost all save me and another lad who had both his legs blown off. If I had wasted time kicking myself for my mistake, I wouldn't found the strength to drag myself and my wounded comrade back across a night-time minefield. Move on, young man. If you can't, you'll be stuck wasting your life instead of helping those who need it." _

_You have no idea, _Ryu mused. The old man was right. He needed to act before there are more victims. There was something about Megumi's report which bothered him. "Megumi, could you repeat what you heard from the twins, Olga and Natasha?"

* * *

**Author's Notes**:

Another long, tedious chapter. This is getting more complex than I thought it would get. Hel and gang are probably watching the show somewhere over popcorn (or maybe a cup of tea, which is more in Hel's character).


	17. Cloak and Dagger

Disclaimer: All the DDS characters belong to their creator.

In this chapter, we have a glimpse into Hougou-sensei's bachelor pad.

* * *

**16. Cloak and Dagger**

Kazuma's reply was terse when it came. "Guys, I found something about the skates our victim was wearing. That model was only introduced five years ago. There is no way they are ten years old."

"Thanks." The skates could have been swapped in the chaos of the pre-show dressing room, if the killer had predicted a skate malfunction. They would need to find the victim's original skates. Meiling was staying with her family and tight-lipped about anything she may have learned.

"Oh, about that cold case, Hougou-sensei was working on it before he left DDC. He could have some information… It may be faster if you ask Nanami-sensei for the file. Can you guys bring me some top-grade sushi from O-Tae's? I'm starving here… All Junior has are peanut-butter muesli bars!" Junior had rejoined Kazuma in the DDS computer lab despite both St Clair and Maki-sensei's objections.

"Give us a break, Kazu!" Kinta exclaimed. "We have less pocket money in a year than your daily allowance. Will a 100 yen pack of biscuits do?"

"Kinta, I'm a growing boy. I need something more than two cookies!"

Kazuma hung up after haggling with his friends and securing the promise of a less pricey but delicious ramen. His companion was gnawing on a muesli bar like a squirrel. Kazuma frowned and turned his attention to the screen before him. "Want a peanut butter bar? My dad swears by them," Junior offered him a bar.

"No thanks," Kazuma shook his head. "Want a round of Battleship or Dogfight?" Junior winked as he tossed aside his wrapper. Kazuma grinned wickedly. "You are on, Bartley. Bet I'll shoot you out of the sky before the gang gets here."

* * *

"We were out busting our guts and you are playing Fighter Ace?" Kinta rubbed his knuckles on Kazuma's head. Junior grinned. "Here's the file, Kintaro-san," he handed the file to Kinta. Kinta released his quarry and Kazuma started wolfing down his ramen.

"It's strange. The case was closed quickly. The arrest was made when the accused was found with the body in his truck. He claimed he was rushing her to the hospital after finding her at the bottom of their fire escape. The victim had stopped breathing. Cause of death was blood loss. The victim also had injuries consistent with a fall. The interview with the investigating officer states that the accused refused to speak after he was confronted with the murder weapon, a knife he had bought a few months before," Kinta remarked as he browsed through the file. "Both the policeman and coroner were transferred to another district before the trial. And no mention was made during the trial of the other injuries. Smells fishy."

"A knife? What type of knife?" Kyu asked. Kinta shrugged. "Didn't say… One other thing: she was three months pregnant at the time of death, according to the coroner." he passed the file to Ryu.

"The court transcripts and evidence for this case are missing…" Ryu observed. "If Chen Haiyan testified against the accused…"

Megumi suddenly gave a cry which had the boys staring at her. "Zhang Hao, the troupe's manager! I saw him before on TV years ago. His father was some big government official who was killed in a car crash in Japan. He would have been in his teens at that time."

"It's probably a set-up," Junior cut in. "The authorities covered things up, it's the way it has always been…" His tone was unexpectedly bitter. "That's what my father used to say."

"Why now? Why after ten years?" Megumi asked. "Because he or she couldn't," Ryu added. "Maybe he was a child then or he didn't know the truth… We have to speak to Hougou-sensei and Zhang Hao."

"Zhang Hao… he could be staying in a hotel near the theatre. We could check with the Festival organizers. And we have Hougou-sensei's contact number and address, right?" Kyu exclaimed. Junior nodded and hit a few keys on the keyboard. The printer whirled to life. "I heard a rumour while I was in the clinic. They say Meiling is thinking of quitting."

* * *

Hougou offered his visitors a seat after accepting their profuse apologies for their unannounced visit. Ryu, Kyu and Megumi had caught their teacher off-guard and were surprised to see him in a singlet and shorts at the door of his small apartment. "Excuse me…" their host hurriedly snatched a few garments off the floor and crammed them into a laundry hamper. Kyu noticed their teacher kicked a few suspicious-looking glossy magazines and crushed beer cans under the couch as he did so. A copy of the _Arashi Shinbun_ Employments section lay on the coffee table.

"Miss Meiyan refused further investigation into that case," Hougou explained as he emerged from the small kitchen of his apartment with three cans of mixed juice which he promptly offered them. He had pulled on a T-shirt over his singlet. "Most of the findings are in that file, except for this…" Hougou reached into a drawer and fished out a faded snapshot. "I meant to return it to Miss Meiyan as I believe it has great sentimental value to her."

The colour snapshot was that of a pair of performers in gorgeous Central Asian costume, frozen in mid-dance. "The man," Megumi pointed. "It's Qin Yulong, the troupe's choreographer. I recall that small scar on his chin."

"The Legend of the White Dove, a Kazakh fairytale. Qin Meiqing and Yulong, aged 16, photo taken by Tenda Momoko," Hougou translated the scribbled characters behind it. "Tenda was Meiyan's mother. I used the photo of Miss Meiqing in my questioning." The girl in the photo was very beautiful, with laughing green eyes and black wavy hair. Her complexion was snowy, with rosy cheeks. Her brother was handsome and his features were more East Asian.

"One other thing, a former policeman recalled the so-called murder weapon was a dagger, similar to this one, but less ornate," Hougou pointed at the ornate dagger in Yulong's hand. "This one's definitely a prop. The murder weapon was purchased by the accused at a curio shop six months prior. It was a traditional Kazakh dagger. When I told her about the dagger that really set my client off…" Hougou paused.

"What did she say?" Ryu asked.

"Nothing. She suddenly stood up and threw the photo back at me before storming off," Hougou muttered. "She later said something about the palm and the back of the hand being of the same flesh…"

* * *

"We are working two cases, not one!" Kinta exclaimed. "And that's not counting Kuniko…" The five were seated in the lobby of the hotel where most of the Star Festival performers were staying.

"Unless everyone in the troupe is a Pluto member, I believe we can safely eliminate Meiling as a suspect," Kazuma suggested. Kyu gave a chuckle. "Maybe Erik's in the clear too," he handed over the tabloid he was reading to Megumi. _BRAWL AT NAGASAKI GALA DINNER!_ the headlines screamed. Megumi scanned the article. "Erik Thorsen hit a secretary from the Argentinean embassy…" The picture showed the probably drunk teen being dragged off by security while a man nearby nursed a bloodied nose. "Norwegian Counsel embarrassed by nephew's behaviour. I wonder if Erik will get sent back to Norway for that," Kazuma read.

"We still have the others in the hostel. Nuns, the priest, St Clair-sensei, Nanami-sensei's niece… Junior Bartley's definitely out. There is no way he could make it down the stairs to where Kuniko-san was killed…" Kazuma glanced at Ryu.

"Zhang Hao refused to be interviewed by us. And the troupe's not talking…" Kyu nudged Kinta as he spotted four of the Qin siblings approaching. Meiyan led the line, closely followed by Meiling. Feilong and his twin brought up the rear. Kyu got up and strode over to them. "Meiling, we need your help…"

"Leave her alone," The elder siblings swiftly moved to form a protective circle about their sister. "Miss Meiyan, we think your father was protecting someone, possibly the owner of a dagger similar to one in this photo," Kyu whipped out the photo they had got from Hougou-sensei. "Leave my sisters alone," Feilong (or his twin) growled. "Hey!" Kyu found himself being lifted off his feet and marched to the revolving doors with a twin at each arm. A few deft turns later and he was sitting on the pavement outside the hotel and seeing stars. There was a brief scuffle in the lobby and… "Oof!" Kinta landed on top of Kyu.

"Good morning, Renjo and Toyama," a voice called out a greeting. It was Grandpa Qin. He was loping along easily on his crutches. With him were Olga and Natasha. "I take it you two had a run-in with the boys."

"Not fair! I want Big Brother to make me one too! I'll like one to go with my new dress tomorrow," Olga exclaimed. The twins were admiring a metal pendant cut in the shape of a butterfly. Natasha rolled her eyes. "Well, you need to give him some metal spoons or something to work with first. He brought his tools, I saw him pack them."

Olga playfully snatched at the pendant. Natasha quickly snatched out of her grasp in the start of some game.

"Excuse me, Miss, may I?" Kyu asked. Natasha did not hesitate before passing the pendant to Kyu. "You have figured it out haven't you?" Kinta asked. "No time to waste. Call Nanami-sensei. Which room is Mr Zhang staying in?" Kyu asked.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

I'm paring down field of suspects down as to who is a member of Pluto. There is sufficient evidence for a circumstantial case. Mostly conjectures. No hard evidence yet.


	18. Ghosts of the Past

Disclaimer: All the DDS characters belong to their creator.

Class Q is gonna score one soon. Not that Hel really cares much.

**17. Ghosts of the Past **

The murderer emerged from the room cautiously. It has taken too long. The approach of a young waiter with a service trolley caused him to look up. "Your meal, mister," the boy gingerly lifted the food cover to reveal the dagger underneath. It was a different person from the one who had originally handed him the plans. "Revenge is best served cold," the boy drawled and slipped silently into a nearby service stairwell. The CCTVs of this particular hotel were not set to record at this point. Jormungand had made sure of that.

The dagger felt heavy in his hand… he knocked on the room door. "Come in! The door's unlocked." Their manager, Zhang Hao was leaning out the open window of his seventh floor hotel room smoking. Suddenly the dagger seemed unnecessary…

* * *

"Mr Zhang may be in danger!" The words were barely out of his mouth when there came the sound of ripping fabric followed by a sickening thud. Something heavy ripped through the entrance awning and hit the pavement. Women and children screamed. Men shouted. Olga and Natasha's screams topped the lot. "Call an ambulance! He's still alive!" Grandpa Qin had retained enough presence of mind to approach the limp form and check for life. "His room's on the seventh floor. Number 13," the old man added.

Hel cursed. It couldn't be helped if their client was sloppy. At least her disguise would keep him from identifying her. She stepped past Ryu without a word and headed for the nearest train station. Kerberos should have everything else arranged.

Kyu sprinted past a stunned Ryu and into the lobby. "Take the stairs!" Kinta called out as he caught up with Kyu. Ryu called DDS for police back-up. If they could catch the killer before he got away. Panting with exhuastion, they reached the seventh floor to find about 20 bewildered guests milling about the corridor, drawn out by the commotion. Meiyan and her siblings were there as well. Meiling ducked past her watchful minders.

"Kyu. What a terrible accident! We were going to Meiyan's room when we hear this big sound and everyone came out for a look…"

"Are your rooms all on this floor?" Kinta asked. Meiling nodded. "Yes, most are, except for Auntie Rui and the new performers. Theirs is on the second floor." The door of the room stood open. An ashtray had been tipped over onto the carpet near the open window. There was something about the way the ash fell. Kyu scanned the feet of the guests present. Aha! Now they act fast before they lose the evidence.

* * *

"Why have you detained us?" Meiyan complained. "Is Zhang Hao dead?" The members of the Qin household and their costume manager, Aunt Rui, have been gathered in the dressing room. "Zhang Hao has been rushed to hospital. In serious but stable condition," Nanami reported. "Falling through those awnings had no doubt saved his life."

"First, I must disclose the truth behind the case involving your father…" Kyu said. "Meiling-san, Meiyan-san, your father did not kill Meiqing, as you may have discovered from what Hougou-sensei has uncovered. However, I can say that you are mistaken as to who the real killer was."

"Who is the real killer then?" Grandpa Qin tapped his foot against the floor. "My son did purchase that dagger."

"A Kazakh dagger. It was probably a gift for someone, you…" Kyu turned to Yulong. "Hence Miss Meiyan was mistaken about your involvement. When you left home, it was without the dagger. You were seeking your fortune in a distant city. You had no use for such an item, even for sentimental reason," Ryu continued. "When your sister was found stabbed with the dagger, your father had some reason to believe you were responsible. He kept silent to protect you."

"That's right," Feilong admitted. "We received a letter from Yulong stating that he owed debts and wanted to come home to hide..." His twin continued. "But you delayed your return by two months. You said you found a job to clear your debts."

"By this time, Father had already been arrested and charged," Meiyan continued in trance-like state. "The police said he was responsible but we knew he was framed. But no detective back home really wanted to look into the case."

"So you contacted Hougou-sensei after learning of DDS from Meiling," Kyu finished. Hougou Tatsumi was the perfect choice with his stubborn integrity. "There was something about the case which was very embarrassing to the authorities," Ryu added. "But why would the death of a young woman in what appears to be domestic squabble be embarrassing?"

"Baby," Aunt Rui spat. "That girl was acting all silly before her death. My guess is that she has a lover somewhere. Sorry, Old Qin," she cast an apologetic glance in the old man's direction. "Your grandchild was a bit of a flirt." The old man shrugged wearily, as if it was no surprise to him.

"So Big Sister Meiqing finds out she's carrying her lover's baby, goes to confront him and gets stabbed?" Meiling asked. "Wait, how did the dagger…" she frowned.

"My guess is Meiqing took the dagger with her for protection or to threaten her lover. A fight broke out and she got stabbed. At the same time, she suffered a fall, probably down a flight of stairs," Ryu theorized.

"The back stairs at our old apartment, before they tore it down," Feilong exclaimed. "Aunt Rui hurt herself badly falling down them. Big Sister and Brother liked to use the back stairs as a shortcut to school before Brother ran off. We also used them when we wanted to hide from Father or Grandpa. It's so quiet there."

"In a fight, Meiqing gets stabbed and tumbles down the stairs. Her assailant flees. She is discovered by her father who rushes her to the hospital but she dies en route. The authorities are directed to close th case quickly and they settle on her father as their main suspect. Her assailant was most likely a member of the local authorities or related to them. Meiyan, may I ask who else has knowledge of this case?" Kyu asked.

Meiyan shrugged. "After Hougou-san dropped that bombshell on me, I got myself fairly drunk in the hotel bar. I may have spoken to anyone then. I remember the twins, Feilong and Shaolong, helping me to the bathroom to throw up my guts, and being slapped by Grandpa, who did not approve of me drinking."

"The murderer of Chen Haiyan decides to exact vengeance on those he holds responsible not only for his father's death, but also his sister's. Hence the attempt on Zhang Hao's life. Zhang Hao was the son of the city mayor back then. After checking up on his background, we found that he was sent very suddenly to America for further studies not long after your sister's death. His father was killed in an accident…" Kyu continued.

"Wait! Are you saying the murderer is one of us? Zhang Hao may be involved in Meiqing's death but we all have alibis! For Chen Haiyan's death, you have no evidence against anyone," Meiyan declared. "When Zhang Hao had his accident, Natasha and Olga were with Grandpa and the rest of us were in the elevator."

Megumi closed her eyes and recalled the family entering the elevator. The Qins had merged with a group of waiting tourists and performers loitering about the elevators. "No. not all of you were there," Megumi stated.

"You are the murderer…" Kyu announced.

* * *

**Author's Note: **

The case is almost closed. I guess it is pretty obvious by now who's the murderer. I know I suck at this.


	19. Case Closed?

Disclaimer: All the DDS characters belong to their creator.

**18. Case Closed?**

"You are the murderer…" Kyu announced. "Mr Qin Yulong."

"What evidence do you have? No one in the troupe will testify against me or any one of their own," Yulong folded his arms.

"One, Miss Chen's original skates," Kyu continued. "We have learnt of the incident before the show about the skates breaking. We also know that you work with metal and you tampered with the blade with the same tools you used to create metal jewellery for your sisters."

"The police have obtained a warrant for your tools. You created an opportunity for Chen Haiyan to wear the other pair of skates, this one." Kinta cautiously pulled out the wrapped skates.

"Two, at the scene, you stopped someone from pulling off the skates. Why? Was it because you wanted to be sure the poison will kill her, or to protect someone else from being poisoned?" Kyu added without missing a beat. "What were you going to do back then, Aunt Rui?" The woman paused in thought. "If it is a case of fainting, we try to revive them by massaging their arms, temples…"

"Does it also involve massaging the soles of the feet?"

"Yes. It does. The body's, what you say, life force, can be managed from pressure on select points on the soles," Aunt Rui nodded. "Medicated oil would also work in reviving a fainting case…"

"Thirdly, look at his shoe. You were in Zhang Hao's hotel room when the ashtray was tipped over during the struggle. The ash is on your shoe," Kyu pointed. "You had to leave quickly because of the commotion, you did not notice it."

"So what if there is a bit of ash on my shoe, or my tools were used to tamper with Haiyan's skates? Without hard evidence…" Yulong protested.

"He was with us in the elevator!" Meiyan shouted. "You were mistaken…" Her siblings exchanged uncertain glances. The unity which had so characterized the Qin household was starting to crack. "Meiyan, calm yourself!" Grandpa Qin tapped his crutch against the floor. "It is time to face the truth! Will you play the tortoise and hide for the rest of your life?"

"He was not," Feilong, or his twin, finally admitted. "Lastly, Zhang Hao survived and he will be able to identify you as his assailant," Kyu concluded. "The police are interviewing him as we speak."

"That cad killed her," the man's composure finally broke. "He killed my sister and they framed my father for it…" Yulong spat, his eyes blazing with pure hatred.

"_Oh Mister," the waiter had called out as he picked up the dagger. "Do save the dagger for yourself." _It poked him under his coat. A reminder of something he must do. "I guess you win this time, detective…" he reached into his coat.

"NO!" Pandemonium broke loose as the blade descended towards his neck. There was a flash of movement and a clattering sound as the deadly blade bounced harmlessly off the floor. "I said face up to it, not cut your own throat!" the grandfather retorted. He had flung his crutch at his grandson, disarming him and suffering a fall in the process. The remaining grandchildren were helping the old man off the floor and onto a chair. Yulong sagged to the floor, spent and exhausted. He did not resist when he was arrested.

"I guess this case is closed," Kyu heaved a sigh of relief. "That was a close one," Ryu looked a tad pale as he gingerly approached the discarded dagger. He suddenly leapt back as if he had been stung. "Kyu, the hilt… Look" They saw it. A small engraving of the Pluto symbol...

* * *

A few days later, Nanami summoned Class Q, Meiling and Bartley to his office. "Good work, Class Q and Bartley," he patted Bartley on the shoulder. Meiling hung about the doorway.

"Meiling, Zhang Hao confessed to his involvement in the death of your sister," Nanami told the Chinese girl. "He claims it was an accident. The police in Shanghai will be re-investigating the case based on the new evidence Class Q and Bartley have uncovered. Will you reconsider your decision?" The girl nodded. "Principal Nanami, I have decided to… STAY!" she bounded across the room and hugged Bartley. "THANKS, BARTLEY-SAN!" The boy started frantically waved his arms and said something that might have been _'not so tight'_.

"Nanami-sensei, actually it was Hougou-sensei who…" Megumi did not complete her sentence before St Clair-sensei peered into the office waving a small bag of tangerines. "Nanami, these are for you from Izu. Your niece is back from her disappearing act there. She is in the library getting Thorsen to give her a tattoo on her thigh. Probably something like 'Kotaro and Kagome forever'?"

Nanami blanched and dropped the file he was holding. "Sis will kill me!" he sprinted past St Clair. "They are in the reference section, between Forensics and Profiling!" the Caucasian woman added.

"I've never seen Kotaro run that fast!" A familiar voice said. "Katagiri-sensei!" Class Q greeted the woman who stepped in through the door. "So it is true then, Hougou leaving…" Their teacher was carrying a file.

"Afraid so," St Clair replied. "Can't say the students miss him as much as they missed you though. Well, I suppose we should dismiss this class on Kotaro's behalf. Students, you are dismissed. Maki-sensei will be waiting for you, Bartley. Meiling can help wheel you over…"

Bartley held on tight as Meiling wheeled him out at a less-than-safe speed. "Slowly, girl, slowly!" St Clair yelled after the pair. "Hey, Bartley! Don't forget. Video games at three!" Kazuma added.

"Shouldn't you be playing baseball or some sports to put some muscle on that tiny frame?" Kinta teased. "The last time we played baseball, you broke my specs!" Kazuma retorted. St Clair approached Ryu. "Class Q, Pluto is involved in this case. Not only the dagger. All the troupe members have received this calling card in their hotel rooms," she handed Ryu the Pluto business card. "We traced the printer. However, the printer has no clues except that a young boy placed the order, together with a printing order for this flyer. He couldn't recall the boy's face as he was wearing a cap. Father can't recall which of the nuns printed the flyers. It was three months ago."

"All Saints' Hostel Bake Sale Fund Raiser?" Ryu read. It was organized by the hostel tenants and the church to raise funds for much-needed repairs to the church.

"Anyone at the church or hostel could be…" St Clair started.

"St Clair-sensei, it may not be so," Ryu said.

"The name the lad gave the printer is Joe Morgan. In Norse myth, Jormungand is the serpent who coils around the world." St Clair had clearly been looking into the earlier case. "I fear that our serpent lurks in Eden House. What's this Nanami has dropped?" She bent to retrieve the scattered papers, offering Kinta a generous view of her bosom. "Hentai, don't get a nosebleed," Kazuma teased. "Same for you," Kinta jibed back.

"A new case so soon?" Megumi peered over St Clair's shoulder and immediately regretted it. "Megu?" Kyu was surprised when Megumi suddenly ran out of the classroom. He ran after her. St Clair also seemed more serious. "This case is not for you, not at your age. Katagiri-san? I believe this is the file Kotaro received from the police." She passed the file to Katagiri who flipped through it, stacked it with the file she was holding and hastily walked out without a word.

"Megu, you okay?" Kyu caught up with her outside the washroom. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Megumi was shaking like a leaf in a stiff breeze. "That case file. It's that recent schoolgirl murder… the body was horribly mutilated. So much blood!" Kyu held Megumi while she sobbed. A cough interrupted them.

"That case is tied to something Katagiri-sensei is working on, but I don't think they want us on that case," Ryu joined them. "Katagiri-sensei dropped this page. I'll be returning it to her shortly." It was printout of the New York Times article sensationally titled _'Ripper Strikes Again'_. The article was about the latest in a series of horribly mutilated bodies discovered. The victims were all young girls.

* * *

_All Saint's Hostel aka Eden House_

"Nee-sama, please let me work this case. I want to get this creep," Jormungand begged softly. Hel's fingers danced over the ivory keys, weaving a haunting melody which echoed through the evening air. Fenrir growled in Russian. "Hel, I thought you cured him of this detective nonsense." He smacked Jormungand across the face with the book he had been reading. Jormungand glared at him. One hand reaching for the pistol secreted on his person. Hel seized his wrist and shook her head. "No, little brother. Perhaps it will be best if we indulge little Ryunosuke this time. It will be a good chance for him to win their trust and prove himself."

"You're spoiling him. He already has them wound around his little finger," Fenrir snorted. "Arigato, nee-sama," Jormungand thanked her.

"Very well, little brother. You will be on your own as we will not assist you. I wish you a good hunting," Hel turned her attentions back to the piano. Jormungand closed his eyes in relief. He did not catch the smirks Fenrir and Hel exchanged. Nearby, Kerberos shook his head. It was foolish of Ryunosuke to even think that he could exist in both worlds.

"Sweet dreams," Hel stroked Jormungand's hair with tenderly as he dozed off, lulled by the music and balmy night air. "Kero-kun, please take Master Jormungand back to his room. You are to take Master Fenrir and leave here as soon as possible." Fenrir leapt to his feet in annoyance. The effort made him gasp for breath.

"Lady Hel?" Kerberos asked. This was not what they had planned. "Fenrir's health has been of increasing concern to me. Get him to his doctor for treatment. I will linger here a little longer," Hel smiled. "I will contact you at a later time."

"I need a heart, sis. Could the doctor find me a suitable one?" Fenrir asked mockingly in Russian. Hel replied in the same language.

"Maybe if you are lucky, but then again, you always were a heartless one."

"Same to you, tovarisch," Fenrir lifted Hel's hand to his lips and placed a light kiss on it.

**Author's Notes:**

A successful closure to the theatre case. In Biblical lore, the serpent tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden. Another case to be solved with Jormungand helping Class Q?

Tovarisch – roughly translates to partner in Russian.


	20. Moonlight Sonata

Disclaimer: All the DDS characters belong to their creator.

Yes, a new case is coming. It is going to be gruesome and based loosely on that infamous serial killer of Victorian London. Pluto is not going to be involved in this one though. Random serial killings are not up their alley. Dark themes.

* * *

**19. Moonlight Sonata**

_10 pm, in a park in Tokyo_

"Ojii-san? Where are you?" Mikami Yukiko called out. This was making her uneasy. Her schoolmates introduced it to her as a way of supplementing her meagre pocket money. Spend a few hours out with mostly middle-aged salary-men at karaoke lounges listening to their boring talk and fending off their drunken and clumsy groping. Her current client was different, more exciting. None of her pervious clients took her to a playground at night. Yukiko wondered if she should remove the blindfold around her eyes, part of a game he wanted to play. It was getting late and the 13-year-old knew she ought to be home before her father returned from his shift.

"Ojii-san, I'm going to be late! I'm leaving…" she ripped off the blindfold and saw the moonlight reflecting off the blade a fraction of a second before it severed her windpipe and carotid artery.

Her choked scream attracted the attention of a young man jogging in the park. "Stop!" The young man sprinted into the darkened children's playground. The murderer fled. The moon slid out from behind a cloud. "Oh hell!" the young man knew he had to act fast when he saw the ever-spreading dark stain in the pale light of the full moon. He had no time to chase after the fleeing shadow. The choking gurgles had ceased by the time he reached the limp form. Still, he bent over, hoping for any signs of life. It was too late.

"Hey, you there!" the young man was blinded by the flashlight of a passing patrolman. The patrolman gasped at the bloody scene and fumbled for his walkie-talkie.

* * *

_DDS staff office, morning _

"One of our students, Shiramine Hayato, was arrested last night on suspicion of murder, two counts of it, including this case," Nanami announced grimly and tapped on the file on his colleague's table. "You know that's impossible!" Katagiri Shino exclaimed.

"Fact is that the authorities are very eager to close these cases due to the public outrage. They already had hell trying to keep the first case quiet. The press is camping outside the police HQ now. Shiramine has the bad luck of being discovered with the latest body. He claims the alleged killer escaped into the woods when surprised. Unfortunately, a police search of the park turned up nothing. In the earlier case, Shiramine was in the vicinity helping out at his father's magic show. He has no supportable alibi for the time in question…" Nanami explained. "They want us to stay away."

"What? But the modus operandi matches the cases in America. The age, sex of the victims, the slit throats, position of the bodies, and the mutilation… I was discussing the cases back in America with an expert profiler. They are done by the same person…" Katagiri explained. "I believe Shiramine interrupted the killer. Did he get a look?" Nanami shook his head. "He was unable to provide the police with a description. It was too dark."

"How many victims were there in the States?" St Clair asked mildly. "Five in New York," Katagiri replied. "Over three months. I have some news clippings on them on file. When I heard about the first case here, it sounded like the New York Ripper had moved to Japan."

"Five? How coincidental. The same number as Jack the Ripper's victims. The sad thing is that in such cases, the killing will not stop until the culprit is apprehended or dies. I do hope this one doesn't drown in the river," St Clair sipped at her black coffee. Nanami's mobile phone shrilled. He answered it.

"I just received an update from the police HQ. They have discovered another body in an alley a few blocks from the park. Same M.O. A schoolgirl returning home late from cram school. Throat slit. Multiple stab wounds… They believe time of death was about the same as the earlier one. If this one was killed later, Shiramine will be off the hook."

"Ah, the infamous double event. Will they allow us to assist now?" St Clair mused. "And our best classes?"

"It was my hope that the detectives in DDS, including me, will be allowed to assist in the investigation," Nanami coughed. "But not Class Q for obvious reasons… The very nature of the crimes makes it difficult for me to justify putting minors on this investigation." The other instructors nodded. Everyone knew that with the exception of Toyama Kintaro, DDS' top students were still minors. "Well, we'll have to wait for the police to agree, don't we?" St Clair shrugged and finished her coffee.

* * *

_All Saints' Hostel_

"This is sick!" Erik snatched the morning papers away before Meiling could read the gruesome details of the latest murder. Kagome cradled her doll and muttered. "They are crying. The little girls… Alice hears them. Well, Erik? Are we going to help the police with this one?" Erik shrugged. "You know this will be difficult, considering most of us are still minors, even in Class Q."

"My dad was working on the cases in New York." Junior Bartley was wheeled by Sister Anna.

"Obviously, he couldn't nab the creep," Erik sniped. "So when's the great Cyber Sleuth emerging from his hole?" Junior glared at the blond. "My dad is working on the case. It's a pity I wasn't in New York then, or he'd have me get more information from the NYPD…" Erik snorted. "Your dad is more interested in fishing in the backwoods. He should have come out himself…"

"Junior's dad will crack the case and nab the bad guy because Junior says so. I believe him," Meiling added.

"I will be forwarding some information from my dad to Principal Nanami," Junior blushed. "No, no, children, you are too young for such a horrible case. Especially Junior," Sister Anna cut in as she browsed through the papers "The poor little lambs…" she crossed herself in prayer. "Promise me that you lot will be careful if you are working on this case, though I can't think that DDS will let you work on this." The teens around the breakfast table murmured their assent.

"Bartley," Kagome called out to the wheelchair-bound youth. "Your father would wish for you to do what is right." She passed a tarot card to him under the table and whispered. "Meiling is right to believe in you. The Page of Wands, element fire. The flame of justice is strong in you. But be wary not to lose yourself." She touched his wrist. Junior gasped in surprise and bewilderment.

"Kagome-nee!" Meiling howled in outrage. "Hands off! He's mine," she pushed Kagome aside, pouted and sat next to Junior. Kagome laughed and replaced the Page of Wands in her deck. "Be careful, Meiling. Don't stay out too late. The Ripper likes cute little girls."

* * *

"Ryu, what do you make of this serial killings?" Kyu asked as he flipped through a tabloid paper. "It's not Pluto's style at all," Ryu deduced. "There is no purpose in the murders. They are carried out by a very disturbed mind. No link between the victims and the killer…"

"They are all girls below sixteen years of age," Kinta added. "My father's getting hell over this. Three murders. The public wants answers. He may have to resign if the police do not make an arrest soon."

"The cut throats, removal of organs… all are similar to a series of murders in New York," Kazuma browsed through the online issues of the New York Times. Megumi was silent. "Megu, you look pale," Kyu placed a hand on Megumi's shoulder. "Do you need some rest?"

"I'm fine, just a bit queasy," Megumi replied. "I read a book on Jack the Ripper once. And the New York murders, they are too similar to the Ripper murders."

"Well, my father let slip that the police will not be calling DDS in on this one," Kinta added. "Why?" the rest of Class Q stared at him. "They arrested Shiramine of Class A. My guess is that he could end up charged with the murders just so that the press will get off the police's back," Kinta added glumly. "Of course the evidence is lacking. He just had the ill luck of being in the vicinity of the murders."

"We couldn't let that happen, could we?" Kyu exclaimed. "Agreed," Kinta and others nodded.

* * *

Jormungand studied the details of the case intently. Rage simmered in his veins. Even Fenrir-nii-sama, who enjoyed tormenting fellow humans, would not stoop to such a level. He couldn't crack this one alone. Hel watched him like a cat, impassively tidying his table. She will not interfere, neither aid nor hinder him. He needed Class Q and DDS' aid. "Father, please help me," he opened his wallet and gazed at the photo within.

**Author's Notes: **

The Page of Wands may represent discovery, going beyond your abilities, motivation and growth. However, there is also a suggestion of danger.


	21. Return of the Ripper

Disclaimer: All the DDS characters belong to their creator.

Okay, I read up a bit on Jack the Ripper and criminal profiling.

* * *

**20. Return of the Ripper**

Nanami looked at the earnest young faces around him. He glanced to his colleagues, Katagiri and St Clair, for reassurance. He glanced once at the boy holding the thick folio cradled in his lap and frowned when he spotted a sliver of black lace outside the door. His niece was no doubt eavesdropping. He walked over to the door and shut it before turning to those present in the room.

"Amakusa, Renjo, Minami, Narusawa and Toyama," Nanami addressed all the class Q members sternly. "This case is too dangerous to justify your involvement, even if the police has agreed to accept our help. It is with great reluctance that you are allowed on this case. You are to carry out investigations in the field only under supervision by a DDS faculty. Ken Bartley, Junior Bartley's father has agreed to assist us via email. Class E's Junior Bartley will act as his representative." Junior waved from where he was seated. "He will now show us the information on the previous murders."

"The cases in New York my father was working on," Junior spread out the data on the table. "First victim, Elsie Goodman, aged 14, found 16th June in an alley off Bronx Street 7. Throat slit with multiple stab wounds to the lower abdomen. Next was Jennifer de Souza, aged 15, found two weeks later on 12th July in a disused lot in Queens. Also with a slit throat. This time, there was disembowelment and removal of a kidney. Next was Mandy O'Shannon. Found 17th July with a slit throat. No further mutilation. As in the Tokyo park case, the assailant was surprised by a pair of joggers. He escaped and killed 16-year-old Celesta Rodriguez as she was returning from work. Rodriguez was found the next morning by her younger brother in the alley behind her apartment with her liver, uterus and ovaries removed. Part of the liver was sent to the NYPD…"

Megumi looked away from the gruesome crime scene photos, shaken. Even Kinta looked pale. Nanami frowned in deep thought. This case promised to be difficult. Junior's steadiness surprised them. However, this might be a result of Junior acting as his father's contact with the NYPD over the last few years.

"With this taunting letter," Junior placed the letter on the table.

"Catch me if you can, officer. The rest of the liver tasted good filleted and doused with wasabi like toro and washed down with sake?" Kazuma frowned as he read the photocopy. "That is so sick… I'm never eating tuna sushi again…"

"The final and most gruesome murder was that of 12-year-old Kelly Yamamoto. An American citizen of Japanese descent, her corpse was found in an abandoned warehouse, six blocks from her home in the last week of July. The head was severed from the body. The body was gutted and the internal organs arranged around it. Kelly's schoolmates mentioned that the deceased was going out with an Asian gentleman. The joggers at the scene of the third murder also mentioned that the killer looked Asian to them. Shall we move onto the recent cases in Japan?"

"Please continue, Shino-san," Nanami grunted as he studied his students. Megumi was trying hard not to be sick. Kyu and Kazuma looked pale. Ryu was impassive. Kinta kept looking away, trying to keep his self-control. Katagiri Shino took over from Junior Bartley.

"First murder was that of Mitsuno Kaoru, aged 14. Her body was found with the heart missing. As in most of the New York murders, her lower body was bare and bore stab wounds. Her panties were also missing. Cause of death was a slit throat. The body was found in an alleyway a block from the American Counsel Building to Tokyo. There was no evidence of sexual assault in all cases despite the positioning of the bodies." Katagiri paused to let the information sink in before continuing.

"The next two cases were Mikami Yukiko, 13, and Kitamura Suzuno, 15. Mikami's throat was slit. The killer was surprised by Shiramine, who happened to be passing by. Kitamura was killed shortly afterwards based on the coroner's findings. Some of her internal organs and her eyes are missing. She was found in an alley near the park where Mikami was found…" A piercing shriek sounded. As one, they sprinted out to the adjoining classroom where they found a hysterical Koda Kagome.

Meiling was being violently sick into the waste basket. "I warned you we shouldn't have touched it! The package was left outside the principal's office…" A shaken Erik fought hard to control his stomach. On the floor in a pool of pungent liquid amidst shattered glass was a pair of eyeballs. St Clair picked up a note from the floor, failing to make sense of it, she handed it to Katagiri.

"_Dear Principal Nanami of DDS. Please kindly accept this little token as a greeting from me…"_ Katagiri read the note. It was in neat Japanese. "There was nothing outside the office when we came in earlier. I guess Shiramine's off the hook in this case. Our killer is still out there. We better inform the police immediately."

* * *

"The killer is probably Asian with a good command of written Japanese, including kanji," Ryu deduced. "He also had access to DDS campus, possibly as a visitor. Maki-sensei's holding a public lecture on forensics today." Maki sensei's forensic lectures were highly popular among medical students and professionals. "Our killer probably has some medical knowledge of the human body too."

"He is also fluent in English and lived in New York for a while before coming to Tokyo," Kinta added. "How did he know his victims? Were they all random? Did they attend the same schools? Play the same sports?" Go to the same dentist or something?

"Online chats?" Megumi suggested. "I mean, they do have such sites online for teens to hook up. My sis tried to get a boyfriend that way once… They can be quite appealing…"

"Megumi! What's wrong with going out with me?" Kyu moaned in mock horror. A nervous laugh ran through the group. "Sorry, Kyu, I was just curious about it," Megumi blushed.

"You know, she may have a point. All the New York victims were normal schoolgirls, except for Rodriguez who had quit school. Goodman attended an elite girls' college, the same one Yamamoto attended. De Souza and O'Shannon attended public schools in the Bronx region, different ones. No common interests between them. We could assume Rodriguez, like Kitamura, was a crime of opportunity. In the Rodriguez case, traces of human skin were recovered from under her nails, indicating that she had put up a bit of a fight," Junior prattled on.

"So it is possible for DNA matching?" Meiling burst in. "Only if we have a suspect," Ryu corrected. "The New York and Tokyo murders are done by the same creep. What is Class E doing here?"

"You don't expect us to leave the case in the hands of the less than trustworthy Bartleys, do you?" Erik smirked at Junior. "As a medium, I have to do something too," Kagome added calmly. "Justice has to be sought for those who have gone into the dark before their time."

"So do we do a séance or something?" Erik couldn't resist a jibe. "OW!" Kagome stomped on his foot. "We do have a suspect list, don't we? Maki-sensei's public lectures require registration," Kagome suggested. "You got a point!" Kauzma immediately set to work on his laptop. "There are about eighty, including foreigners."

"The suspect would have been in New York for the period of the murders there. Will that narrow the list?" Kyu asked.

* * *

_Hours later…_

"Five potential suspects," Ryu announced as he returned with the information. "One, Francis Kim, 25, medical student from Manhattan University. Currently on exchange to Tokyo University. Two, Roger Matsuyama , 40, surgeon, recently returned from New York. Three, Umewara Emiko, 38, paediatrician from Tokyo Women's and Children's Hospital, in New York on training during the murders there. Four, Ikeda Shintaro, 29, medical student from Tokyo Medical University. Lastly, Yamada Gen, 32, medical aide, newly employed by DDS as Maki-sensei's assistant. Of course, the person who left the eyeballs could have entered the campus by different means…"

"Well, something is better than nothing," St Clair-sensei remarked.

"Are there any previous offences, I mean, complaints of molestation filed against any of them?" Megumi asked. "I read somewhere that serial killers of this type normally have some minor previous offences."

"Why, yes. Two of our suspects have been accused of inappropriate conduct with a patient. The surgeon was accused three years ago of molesting a female patient. He was acquitted. The medical student Ikeda was accused of assaulting a nurse during his houseman-ship. No further information could be obtained on the remaining suspects on this account," Ryu replied.

"Whoever is responsible for this… may he burn in hell," Junior announced grimly. Hours of studying the horrific details of the case were affecting all of them.

"Let's call a pizza with lots of ham and pineapples," Meiling suggested. "Not hungry," Kinta complained. Kinta's normally hearty appetite was gone. Junior fished out a peanut and sunflower seed bar and began gnawing on it. Erik shrugged and took the phone from Meiling, placing an order for Chinese takeaway. Kagome sucked daintily at a lollipop. St Clair sipped at her third cup of coffee. Kazuma frowned. Something was wrong. That person shouldn't be doing that.

"What's up, Kazuma?" Kyu's voice cut in.

"Nothing," Kazuma cleaned his glasses. There may be a perfectly logical explanation for that. After all, that person had been a tremendous help, so far. It was monstrous to think that that person could be a Pluto member.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Yes, I am drawing my inspiration from the most infamous serial killer and unsolved crime in history. Speculations have long been bandied about regarding the true identity of Jack the Ripper. Suspects named include doctors, policemen and even a member of the British royalty of the era. However, no arrests were made and the Ripper's killing spree apparently ceased as suddenly as it had started. The five known victims were all prostitutes from the impoverished East End of Victorian London.

Kazuma suspects someone of being not who he claims to be.


	22. Voices in the Dark

Disclaimer: All the DDS characters belong to their creator.

Jack the Ripper was featured in the final stage of the entrance exam to DDS' Class. That case where we have Saburomaru and various Class A members starring as dead bodies.

There is actually more than 1 case going on (sorry for the confusion). There is still a Pluto member somewhere in DDS.

**21. Voices in the Dark**

"You are more naïve than I thought if you think you can work for both Lady Risa and DDS." Jormungand looked up at the voice. Reflected in the washroom mirror, Kerberos grinned at him. "Shut up. I know what I'm doing," Jormungand replied angrily.

"Really, Ryunosuke?" Kerberos questioned. "Do you think you can continue this charade? You are getting to close to them for your own good."

"My life has been an act. I will act to my grave if need be," Jormungand retorted. "Is Nee-sama worried? Worried that I may let slip her identity?" Kerberos shook his head. Risa was confident on that score. No doubt she had already planted a hypnotic seed in Ryunosuke, ready to spring into life should he be caught. "I know she is not concerned about my health."

"Poor Ryunosuke. You can change your face and act the innocent but cannot deny the blood which flows through your veins. You are not a detective, no matter how much you wish," Kerberos added as he turned to leave. "You are King Hades' direct grandson." _Damn you, Kerberos,_ Jormungand cursed silently. His nails dug into his skin through his sleeves. _Father, what should I do?_ The legendary thief Loki, Alexis Kokuo, would have found a way out of this. _Father, where are you?_ Feeling sick, he retched into the sink.

_Sunflowers. A splash of colour in the dreary grey ward. Nee-sama's sweet smile as she took them from his chubby young hand. "Is Father finally coming to see me?" she asked. How old was he then? That was before everything…_

_Years later… "Ryunosuke? Is that you? What a big boy you are now…" The sunflower on her sunhat shone like a beacon as she sprinted across the park. Warmth and happiness personified. _

_Later still… "Sis, he's d-dead…" the depths of despair. "Hang in there, Ryunosuke," her tone curt and business-like. A steel magnolia, an iron lily. The warmth bleached from her like a marble statue. He should have known then he was chasing a mirage. _

"Hang in there," he coaxed himself. He clenched his fist. For the sake of the case, he must continue his charade. He must stop the Ripper before more children get hurt.

* * *

"Any luck?" Nanami asked when the first of the team returned from questioning their suspects.

"Umewara is off the list. She has a 12-year-old daughter. In fact, she's more terrified for her girl's safety above all else," Kintaro reported. She's quick with the mace and a black belt to boot. Do I look like a pervert to you?" His friends shook their heads as Kinta held a cold compress to his jaw. His eyes were still swollen. "Her little darling's about as good a fighter as Mommy." Kazuma sported a black eye. "Thank goodness for Junior…"

Junior grinned shyly at the compliment. "You guys just needed to adopt the correct approach." His fingers twisted and turned a puzzle cube.

"Easy for you to say," Kinta complained. Junior's easygoing smile and obvious handicap had put the edgy mother and daughter at ease. "According to compiled stats in the US and Europe, most serial killers are male. Female serial killers are almost a novelty. Female serial killers tend to prey on those close to them: family, friends and acquaintances. Snatching a victim off the streets is not generally characteristic of them," Junior elaborated matter-of-factly. "The MO suggests a male. Female prefer less violent methods like poison. Also, the sexual aspect…"

"Excuse me, smarty, if you are suggesting rape as a motive, there is no evidence of that…" Kinta scowled.

"Maybe the suspect has problems relating to mature females. He may feel a need to dominate his victims, hence the young age of the victims. The violence hints at a deep anger or hatred… Then again, who knows what a serial killer thinks?" Junior shrugged and continued fiddling with his puzzle cube.

"How did the rest of the interviews go?" Nanami asked.

"Roger Matsuyama's Japanese is atrocious. He can't understand us and we can't make sense of what he was saying," Megumi complained. "His command of English was flawless though," Ryu clarified. "He was stuck in a surgery on the night of the two murders. "We interviewed Francis Kim. He happened to be doing his training at the same hospital as Matsuyama. He claims to be alone studying on the two nights in question. He can't recall where he was in New York for the murders there," Ryu reported. "Also, I noted a bandage on his hand. He claims he cut himself cutting fruit. However…"

Ryu took out a penknife and gingerly jiggled the blade to demonstrate his point. "There is a possibility the killer cut himself during the frenzied attack."

"Ikeda Shintaro is an ultra-nationalistic jackass with an attitude that makes a Nazi SS guard look like a mild-mannered grandma. Highly uncooperative." Erik growled.

"Forcing his head into the fountain was a bit uncalled for… even if he did call you a barbarian monkey," Kagome sighed. "Sorry, Uncle Kotaro. I did try to stop him…" Nanami blanched. Whether from Erik's assaulting a suspect or the sickly sweet smile Kagome gave him, no one knew.

"We checked the assault case filed against him. The nurse involved was undergoing a medical examination by him at the time of the attack. However, they were a couple once," Kagome continued. "She was more than willing to talk and still very pissed the case got tossed out. Ikeda has a history of beating up his girlfriends. Outwardly charming in appearance but violent towards women, based on what Junior has suggested, Ikeda may be the killer…"

"Good work. Where're Kyu and Meiling?" Nanami asked suddenly. Everyone looked around. "He said he would be interviewing Yamada Gen, who is helping Maki-sensei at the forensics room…" Megumi frowned. They were taking too long.

* * *

"Maki-sensei, gee, I never thought you knew Yamada from your medical school days…" Kyu chirped as he peered through Maki's microscope. "Actually, his father was my mentor…" Maki explained. Nearby, Meiling studied a shelf of pickled maggots and flies.

"Regrettably, I have no alibi for the nights in question as I live alone," Yamada explained. "How do the fibres match, Renjo?" Kyu peered again at the enlarged fibres.

"The one on the right is redder than the one on the left. The left one is slightly green…" Kyu replied. "Yamada-san, these maggots in the blue tagged jars are different from those in the red tagged ones. What species are they?" Meiling asked sweetly. "You have sharp eyes, princess," Yamada chuckled. "The first ones are blowflies and the second are sheep screw-flies."

Kyu glanced at his watch. "Oh gosh! I forgot I need to report to Nanami-sensei! Bye!"

"Wait, here's the report on the eyes and the preservative fluid from the Science department," Maki called out. "Thanks!" Kyu and Meiling sprinted off. "Do drop by sometime, kids," Yamada called out after them.

* * *

"Of course I'm pissed! Try being stuck in a stinking holding cell for hours without food, drink or a visit to the washroom! The worst part is having a SWAT team break into my apartment and near scare my parents to death!" Shiramine complained. "Thank goodness…" he sat down with his fellow Class A members Gouda and Shishido at the DDS cafeteria. "Shiramine, I will clear your name!" Saburomaru declared as he joined them. "Shut up," Shiramine growled. "What are you doing here?"

"Me? I was hired by DDS as a consultant," Saburomaru boasted. "You were hired to help out at the forensic department as a temp," Gouda corrected. "So shut up."

"I, Saburomaru, will catch this Ripper," Saburomaru continued.

"SHUT UP!" POW! Shiramine's self-control finally snapped and punched the pompous windbag.

* * *

Hel sighed contently as she played at the piano. Fenrir had left with much complaint. Jormungand was always their father's favourite child. Loki hardly bothered about his two eldest children. In fact, Hel was far closer to Hades than to her father, which only made what Amakusa Ryu did more unforgivable. Let Jormungand trip and fumble. She would not lift a finger to aid him. Neither will Kero or Ryoma.

"_Bravo, Risa. Well-played!"_ How she longed for those words from her grandfather.

"My lady, you should rest …"

"Worried about me, Kero?" Hel asked mildly. "You need a doctor as much as Ryoma…" Kerberos stressed.

"Don't fret. I will take care of myself…" Hel rose from her bench and planted a kiss on Kero's cheek. "My lady, what will they say if they see us now?" he smiled wryly. Hel grinned. "Maybe the good sisters will have something to gossip about?" Kerberos realised that the little girl he recalled had grown into an attractive woman well-aware of her beauty. The thought unsettled him.

"Kero, why so tense? Do you fear me?" she kissed him again, this time on his lips. "You know, Kero… I do believe I could've been in love with you when I was a child. Except we all knew Grandfather expect me to marry Amakusa for his family's wealth."

"Now, my lady?" Kerberos swallowed nervously.

"Perhaps, it will better if we continue this somewhere more private…" Hel shrugged at Kerberos' flustered look.

**Author's Notes: **

Saburomaru's being a pest. He doesn't know when to stop, does he? The suspect list is being narrowed down. I did some research on serial killers stats and most of Junior's conclusions are based on real data. The historical Jack the Ripper's probably a man despite some 'Jill the Rippress' theories floated about.

Some hanky-panky going on in Pluto. Kero x Risa?


	23. Booby Traps & Little Maids

Disclaimer: All the DDS characters belong to their creator.

Some classic humor "what was that again?" style from Kyu. Poor Kyu seems to be always getting words mixed up in the manga.

**22. Booby Traps and Little Maids**

Erik was suspended from investigations after that incident with Ikeda. A call from the police HQ had called Principal Nanami away. For the time being, Class Q and E waited for further instructions. Junior tapped away idly at his laptop. Kazuma appeared distracted. St Clair suddenly entered the room.

"We have received some new findings. Four of the New York victims were members of an internet chat site called Princess Fantasy," St Clair reported. Ken Bartley just sent me this email data. Kazuma frowned. Something did add up with the email printout St Clair spread on the table. "Basically, it is a site for young people to hook up. There is a princess-knight theme role play and some of the exchanges going on are clearly made by perverts. This site was closed down after complaints by concerned parents. Ken Bartley managed to retrieve the chat log and member data. I understand that NYPD and the press are having a field day rounding up suspected paedophiles…"

"Pedal pals?" Kyu frowned as he struggled to digest St Clair's words. "Is it some cycling club?" There was an awkward moment of silence.

"No, Kyu. A paedophile is a person who has a sexual interest in minors," Junior explained calmly. "We have some leads from the victims, Mikami and Mitsuno. I have googled their names and here are their Facebook profiles," he turned his laptop round so the screen faced the others. The deceased Mitsuno Kaoru was peering innocently at the camera, her school skirt hiked up.

"Wow! Cute panties!" Kyu exclaimed. "Megu, how come you don't have such sexy pics on your Facebook…" SMACK! A file hit Kyu in the face. "It appears that the killer is prowling through such sites," Junior ignored the commotion. "If so, there could be a ready pool of potential victims out there the killer could reach out to… Look out for laptops or PCs on their premises. Potential red flags would be unnaturally large displays of young girls' photos or toys…."

"Junior, you have worked on such cases before, haven't you?" St Clair asked suspiciously. "My father had been called up on occasion to track and bust online child porn rings," Junior explained. "I have assisted him then." St Clair pursed her lips. "I can't agree with Ken Bartley involving a minor in such cases..."

"Prawn Rings? Isn't that a snack or something?" Kyu puzzled. His classmates all groaned.

"Class Q and E, I have news. Ikeda has been arrested for assaulting a bar hostess. A DNA sample has been obtained as part of the investigation and we will be forwarded a sample for possible matches to the DNA from the case in New York. As for our two remaining suspects, Francis Kim and Yamada Gen, I want you to try and verify their whereabouts… Kinta, Megumi and Kyu will check up on Kim's apartment. Ryu, Meiling and Kagome will call on Yamada. Kazuma and Junior will coordinate on campus." Nanami's voice crackled over their DDS watch. "Be careful."

"Got it!" Kyu replied. "Let's go."

* * *

"Sorry you have to put up with this mess," Francis Kim apologized. Kinta and Megumi looked around in bewilderment at his hostel room. They had been warned by the hall monitor about the suspect's odd interest but this was weird. Kyu poked at the object on the table curiously. "Don't touch that!" the soft-spoken medical student barked.

"GAH!" Kyu leapt back in shock. "Is this part of your research?" Kinta asked. He never could make sense of academic-types. He stole a peek at the pictures above Francis' desk. Megumi groaned softly. _Men!_ If she had known, she would have asked to go with Ryu's team instead.

"Yep, but it is my private project," Francis beamed. "I am analysing the structure and growth of the female breast so that I can design a new prosthetic that will help millions of women regain their confidence in life after cancer! Mama, this is for you," he kissed a framed photo of a plump middle-aged woman. "You see, I was inspired after my dear mama lost a breast to cancer. Current reconstruction methods can be so traumatic… But in the States, I had limited Asian volunteers. I needed more stats…"

"So have you found the stats?" Kinta asked as he tried to control a nosebleed at the photo of a bosomy cheerleader baring her boobs. "Why yes, the ladies on campus have been very helpful… I still lack samples from the 12 to 16 age group though… As you see, that on the table is my prototype. It is designed to feel like a real human breast…" the student continued enthusiastically. "Would you like to volunteer your bust size, Miss?"

Megumi turned tomato red with embarrassment. Then…

"Feels like the real thing, only bigger" Kyu declared with one hand on the prototype and the other fondling Megumi's breast. SLAP!

* * *

"I haven't had the time to unpack yet," Yamada Gen apologized. "Most of my stuff just arrived from New York. It is so nice of Maki-san to let you help me…" The lab aide was struggling with a box when they met him on the threshold of the rental apartment.

"No big deal!" Meiling said cheerfully. "We're glad to help!" Ryu and Kagome remained expressionless. Kagome was dressed in a French maid-style uniform. "Kawaii!" Yamada let out a delighted exclamation at the sight of Kagome's outfit. "May I?"

Without waiting for a reply, he shoved the box unto Ryu, whipped out a camera and snapped away. Kagome good naturedly struck a pose with her doll. The base of the box gave way and issues of the shojo manga series _Little Maid_ and _Angelica_ cascaded out onto the floor. "Miss, are you a fan of _Little Maid_? The series is so engaging," Yamada chatted as he salvaged the scattered books. "Is that an actual Victorian antique?" Yamada noticed the doll.

"Y-yes," Kagome replied. Peering into the dim apartment, they noticed two Victorian porcelain dolls peeking out from a crateful of packing peanuts. "My mother's," Yamada explained as he gently lifted them out. "I keep them for her memory."

A grumpy-looking Persian cat miaowed from atop the untidy coffee table. "Jack, not the table. Shoo!" The man shooed the cat off and placed the dolls on the table. "Nice kitty," Meiling stroked the cat. The cat purred contently.

"Shall we get started?" Yamada asked. More boxes and crates were lying about, waiting to be unpacked. "Sure," Ryu nodded.

* * *

Kazuma quietly browsed through the web pages his search engine turned up. Most of the pages were unrelated or seemed to confirm what they already knew of that person. Junior had gone off for a medical check-up, leaving him alone. Suddenly, something caught his eye. It was a small article from a regional newspaper.

"How can that be?' Kazuma spluttered on his orange juice. The words jumped out at him. He re-read the article again. Someone had a lot of explaining to do. The teen did not hear the door creak open behind him, until it was too late.

"How regrettable. We could have been friends." Kazuma shuddered at the ice in that familiar voice. He saw the pistol aimed at him. Immediately, he reacted by delivering a blow to the wrist to disarm his assailant. He heard a low buzzing and felt a sharp pain before he blacked out.

Jormungand panted. Kazuma was out for now, but he must do something quickly. The unconscious teen was sprawled in the swivel chair next to the laptop. The other students and staff might enter the room at any time. He must do something fast. He checked for a pulse and found it. It was strong and steady. His Taser was not sufficient to kill. He slowly pressed his pistol to Kazuma's temple. Footsteps sounded along the corridor outside. He hesitated.

Kazuma moaned as he regained consciousness. Panicked, his assailant smashed the butt of his pistol into the side of his victim's skull.

* * *

The hostel was quiet when Jormungand returned, still badly shaken. He had been lucky no one had stopped him when he left. Bloodstains, slight as they might be, could prove awkward. The clothes he now wore must be disposed of, burnt. He entered his room and closed the door behind him.

"Nee-sama?" His sister was sitting on the edge of his bed, straightening her clothes.

"You are back early, Ryunosuke," Hel murmured and combed her hair. "Sorry about the sheets, we'll get them washed."

"Y-you did _that_ in my bed?" he stumbled.

"You rarely sleep here. In fact, you spent the last week bunking out in a chair," Hel retorted. "You don't expect us to check into a love motel at such short notice, do you?" She then noticed the slight bloodstains. "Did you blow your cover, Ryunosuke-chan? Shall I call Kero up?"

"It has been taken care of," Jormungand replied as he shed his shirt and trousers and seized a fresh set from his closet. "Are you sure you should be having a relationship at such a time?" Hel only smiled as she glided out.

**Author's Notes: **

Poor Kazuma. Hopefully, Jormungand messed up. This is not Pluto's standard practice but Jormungand is no hypnotist.


	24. Cyber Sleuths & Cafes

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**23. Cyber Sleuth and Cafes**

_DDS cafeteria_

Away from her classmates, Megumi saw the girls of Class E sitting at a table and joined them. "Where's Ryu?" she asked. "He got a phone call and went home," Kagome replied. "Change is in the air and Amakusa is not exactly pleased," she added cryptically. Meiling played with a stray kitten. "We didn't find anything incriminating, except that Yamada-san's a die-hard otaku and likes shojo mangas."

"His house smells weird and his place is a mess. We had to help clean up a bit," Meiling added.

"At least that's better than our prosthetic breast researcher," Megumi muttered. Her face was still burning from embarrassment at the memory of Kyu's touch. "Look what Yamada-san gave me for a thank-you gift," Kagome remarked and fished out a copy of the shojo manga monthly _Sakura _from her basket. "He thinks I may be interested in some of the Gothic Lolita styles featured in there, but these are so last season," Kagome shrugged. "Men indeed." A card fluttered out from the pages of the magazine.

"Sweetie Pie Maid Café…" Megumi picked it up and read. She stared at the picture of a smiling young woman in a maid's uniform on the card. She had seen that uniform before… Could_ that_ be the link between the victims so far in Tokyo?

"Hey, I used to work there during my school break, before I joined DDS," Kagome said. "You wouldn't tell Uncle Kotaro that, will you?"

"Why?" Kagome was old enough at eighteen to work in such places. "I worked there when I was in middle school, I lied about my age," Kagome shrugged. "I know what we can do!" Meiling suddenly jumped up. "We can go there and find out more, right now!" Without waiting for Kagome or Megumi, she ran out.

* * *

_Meanwhile, DDS Principal's Office_

"We just got the report from the labs. No match on the DNA. Ikeda has been ruled out as a suspect," St Clair reported. Nanami cursed under his breath. Katagiri's hunch was right. Ikeda was not their killer, which meant the real murderer was still stalking Tokyo's streets. He stared at his PC screen. Ken Bartley, the Cyber Sleuth, offered his assistance. Bartley was eccentric and reclusive. In fact, few have seen the man since he went into seclusion. Junior looked up to him but admitted that he had not seen his father in over a year. Taking a deep breath, Nanami typed.

_Bartley-san, we have narrowed it to 2 suspects. However, no conclusive evidence yet. _

_Mr Nanami, look at the Facebook sites of the two Japanese victims. Look at their pictures. Coincidence?_

Nanami frowned as he stared at the pictures taken from the victim's Facebook sites. Some were fairly risqué. Then ti hit him. _Maid costumes?_ _Age and physical type?_ The Ripper's victims so far were young and some looked younger than their actual ages.

_Please ask Tokyo police to crack down on a certain maid café in Shinjuku. Sweetie Pie. Reason to suspect employment of underage waitresses. _Nanami frowned. Bartley tended to wander off like that throughout their chats, often remaining silent for long periods or diverging completely off the topic. He wondered how the NYPD and other agencies managed to work with such an eccentric character. True, the NYPD's main link to Ken Bartley was via his son. Maybe he should get Junior in to deal with his father's odd moods.

"Nanami," Katagiri entered the room. "We have bad news from the police. Another Ripper victim has been found in an abandoned compound. Superintendent Toyama is on the line. Do you wish to speak with him?"

"Put him on my line," Nanami replied. _We have another body,_ he typed. _Going to speak with the police for info. Will resume our conversation ASAP._

"Nanami, the compound is the property of DDS," Katagiri added. "It is that old mansion we used to use for the entrance exams, the one which we had slated for demolition at the last meeting."

* * *

_Amakusa residence_

Ryu took off his shoes carelessly at the door. His father was back from LA. Luggage from the business trip was still unpacked on the threshold. His father was sitting in the hall. "Father? You said you had something important to tell me and to come home…" Ryu's words trailed off in mid-sentence as he saw a beautiful woman he had never seen before entered the hall from the kitchen. She was in her late twenties at most.

"Ryu, this is Judith Nevees, a violinist. I met her at a concert in LA," his father said in English as he took Judith's hand in his. "We hope to get married…"

"Ryu, nice to meet you…" Judith greeted him in faltering Japanese. Ryu was absolutely flabbergasted. It was obvious his father was in love with the woman. "Sorry, I-I…" Ryu gave up and dashed up to his room without a word. "Ryu?" he ignored his father.

* * *

"Kazuma! Look what we got for you! The tasty takoyaki you like from Oro-chan's," Kyu and Kinta entered the classroom. Kyu's face still bore the imprint of Megumi's palm.

"Where's Kazuma? I thought we'd find him here playing Fighter Ace with Junior!" Kinta exclaimed. The room was deserted and quiet. "Junior took ill. Gruesome murders turn his stomach," a voice said. Erik Thorsen entered the room. "I thought you're suspended," Kinta asked. "Yeah, but I figure coming here's better than listening to Junior losing his lunch onto the sink back in Eden House," Erik nonchalantly placed his laptop on the table.

"Junior's sick? Your team-mate's ill and you are not concerned?" Kyu asked incredulously. Erik shrugged. "I never liked the little rat."

Kinta sniffed the air in the room. Something was wrong. "Kyu, what do you think that is?" A few spots on the wooden floor caught his eye. "Looks like… blood," Erik answered and whipped out his DDS kit to scrape a sample. "Kinta, do you think something has happened to Kazuma?" Kyu asked worriedly. He dialled Kazuma's number and could not be connected. He tried the DDS watch communicator to no avail.

"Relax, Kyu. Maybe Kazuma-kun just cut himself and is getting an OK-band from health centre…" Kinta tried to keep himself calm. "Then why isn't he answering his phone?" Kyu interjected. Something had to be wrong. He tried again.

* * *

_DDS basement_

"I, a Tokyo University graduate, reduced to washing test-tubes! The sheer outrage!" Saburomaru fumed as he struggled with the clean glassware. He put down the heavy box he was holding and wiped his brow. The basement was quiet, apart from the hum of the freezers. The silence was suddenly pierced by a phone ringing. Saburomaru frowned. It was not his ring tone. It seemed that it was coming from a freezer. _Did someone drop his phone in the freezer?_

An assistant from the forensics department came in pushing a trolley. "Aren't you answering your phone, o great detective?" he asked sarcastically. "It could be a case." _It isn't mine,_ Saburomaru was about to reply when he stopped. "I suppose I may have dropped it in there… It may be that pretty lady from last night," he lied and walked over to the freezer. It could be his lucky break into the world of high-profile crime solving. The assistant shrugged. There was probably no woman, pretty or otherwise. Saburomaru unclasped the lid of the freezer and lifted it.

A piercing scream shook the whole building.

"What was that?" Kyu dropped his phone. "It's from the basement!" Kinta deduced using his exceptionally keen senses. "And it sounded like that Saburomaru. Let's go!"

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Cool guy Ryu is getting his feathers ruffled by this new development in his life. And guess what Saburomaru found. Definitely not last year's beef patties.

Takoyaki – Japanese octopus balls


	25. Another Victim

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

Saburomaru has his uses, well, sorta.

* * *

**24. Another Victim**

Junior Bartley gulped down his pills at the sink and wheeled himself out of the kitchen. The pills would help him a little. He could catch snatches of the evening mass drifting from the church. Sister Anna was not around to assist him. He had the hostel to himself. Erik would have gone out to a club or a game arcade or something. Staying in was not in his nature. It was getting dark and he wondered when the others would be back. A storm seemed to be brewing. He rolled himself out onto the hostel's little porch and waited, braving the strong gusts of wind.

"It's going to be a wicked storm, father," he muttered to himself. The first raindrops started to fall…

* * *

Nanami had to hold onto his hat tightly to avoid losing it to the wind. The weather report had warned of a possible typhoon. They were located far enough from the coast not to be too troubled. "Nanami-sir!" a policeman stopped retching into the grass by the porch long enough to greet and usher him inside. The first thing that caught Nanami's eye was several boxes of skulls stacked on the moth-eaten carpeting near the door.

"He's the one who found the body, sir," the policeman pointed a very familiar figure with an eye-patch. "Onikobe Dokuro? What are you doing here?" Nanami asked.

"Long story. My grandaunt from Yokohama suddenly decided she is coming to stay with me tomorrow. Thought I would borrow this place to keep Elizabeth and my collection for a while… I tried Tatsumi's but he wasn't in. I would have brought everything over to DDS but my car is in the workshop. Since I had a key to here and it's near my place and no one's using it…" an ashen Onikobe chattered on nervously as he clutched his favourite skull. "I get the point. Where is the crime scene?" Nanami demanded. A foul odour was wafting in from upstairs.

The policeman hesitated. "It's upstairs, in a bedroom… The corpse has been there for a while… possibly even before the incident at the park…" A man in the police's forensic team uniform suddenly dashed down the grand staircase, taking the last three steps at one go. He rushed out and was violently sick.

"Nanami-san?" St Clair's voice crackled over the watch communicator. "There has been an incident on campus. Narusawa Kazuma has been attacked. He's unconscious and barely breathing. They're rushing him to hospital in Katagiri-san's car…Toyama and Renjo are going with him…"

For the first time, Nanami was starting to regret firing Hougou. Maki would be arriving at the mansion soon. Nanami debated whether he should contact the students. He climbed up the stairs to the crime scene. The body was bloated with decomposition and teeming with maggots, but enough of the clothes remained to tell him the victim was wearing a maid cafe uniform. Besides Onikobe, all the DDS staff had access to the keys. Also, it could be a case of illegal trespassing. The gate could be climbed easily and the lock on the main door was a type which could be easily picked.

* * *

"Erik Thorsen?" St Clair hung up on Nanami and looked up to see the blond teen glaring at her. "Who are you exactly, sensei?" The teen marched up to her and slammed his laptop on her desk. St Clair started. The staff room was empty. "Explain this, Miss St Clair. Or shall I say, Mrs Kokuo?" Erik pressed. St Clair let out a small gasp of shock and surprise before regaining control.

"I have no memory of this, Erik. Now please…" she avoided looking at the wedding photo on Erik's laptop. "Art theft suspect acquitted and wins the hand of the investigating officer… How convenient, Miss Theodora St Clair…" Thorsen barred her way as she tried to leave. "Stolen art piece returned to Cairo museum by mystery persons, possibly the infamous Master Thief Loki. You were investigating that case, St Clair…"

"He was a gentleman," St Clair muttered quietly.

"The master thief? Your suspect, Alex Kokuo? Or both?" Thorsen asked quietly. "You know a student has been attacked on campus…" St Clair struck out, knocking the laptop off her desk and smashing it against the wall. Erik let out a scream of outrage at the damage to his precious laptop. The teacher seized her chance to flee the room.

* * *

"Ten minutes more and he would have been dead," the doctor said to the two young men waiting outside the examination room. "Will he be okay?" Kyu cut in as the nurses whisked Kazuma off in the direction of the operating theatre. The doctor paused. "He is severely hypothermic and unconscious. The CT scan shows not only concussion, but a fractured skull with bleeding in the brain. We are contacting our neurosurgeon to operate immediately. The signs suggest he was hit with a blunt object multiple times. Are you his family?"

"Friends," Kintaro replied. "We have contacted his folks." Kazuma's butler would contact Mr and Mrs Narusawa at whatever resort they are vacationing at. Kyu still looked pale. He was shocked when he stumbled onto the scene in the basement store. Saburomaru was screaming up against the wall away from the open freezer. The other medical assistant from the science department was struggling to pull a very stiff Kazuma out of the freezer. Kinta hit Saburomaru to shut him up. He then pulled his young friend out and was shocked to see Kazuma's favourite hat stiff with frozen blood. The medical assistant managed to locate a weak pulse and start CPR they best they could in the circumstances.

"Naturally, our Tokyo U grad was about as useful as a block of wood," Kinta growled. The medical centre needed to administer a sedative to the wimp. Kyu took out his phone. There was a message from Ryu. _Kyu, I need to talk. _

* * *

Koda Kagome paused outside the café and stared thoughtfully at the sign. "Aren't you going in?" Meiling asked. She was sharing an umbrella with Megumi. "I'm not really welcome here, but whatever…" Kagome entered with a flourish of black lace and snapped her lacy umbrella close.

"Koda Kagome, I thought I told you not to come here ever!" the café manager of Sweetie Pie Maid Café paled when he recognized the Gothic Lolita entering the door. "Oh, but I am legally employable now, if you wish to hire me. However, I predict that you will receive massive damage to your establishment shortly, Mr Ogawa," Kagome replied tartly. "Hi, Mr Senda, sorry for your losses in the stock exchange. Oh, Kimura-san, did you remember your wife's death anniversary? She'll be upset if you didn't. In fact, she looks very angry now. Anyone interested in a fortune reading by little me?" she smiled sweetly at the customers, many of whom were regulars as she fluttered from table to table. A good many of them paled and started making excuses to leave.

Megumi and Meiling stared at the effect the older teen had. "Koda Kagome, haven't you done enough harm the last time with your Little Miss Oracle of Doom?" Ogawa groaned and struggled to get his potbellied bulk up from behind the cashier's. "So I predicted misfortune for some. Pretty accurate, don't you think?" Kagome teased.

"Dead on was more like it! Two were seriously wounded in traffic accidents, one was killed. Three had their businesses fail… What information will it take to get you to stay out this time?" Ogawa wailed. "With the typhoon coming some information on the Ripper victims will be nice. They were employed by you," Kagome continued without missing a beat.

"Come on! I don't employ minors! Scat before I call the police!"

"Really? Be my guest," Kagome did not bat an eyelid. She cast a glance at the waitresses. "Anyone here below eighteen? I foresee a bit of trouble heading your way if you are…" A nervous twitter ran through the waitresses. A few even dropped their trays. Koda's predictions were notoriously accurate in the Shinjuku region. More customers fled at the sudden commotion.

"Okay, they were both working here but they quit! Said they found better jobs outside," Ogawa replied. "You know I always believe what the girls say about their age…"

"You should be more careful, Ogawa. Ask for their identity passes. The government is not taking too kindly to such excuses now. Besides the two victims, are there other girls who have stopped coming to work? Hurry up with it," Kagome continued her questions as she perched on the cashier's counter.

"Oda Kikuko. That one stopped coming some time ago without notice…" Ogawa added.

"She did not go home. Her father believes she ran off with her boyfriend," a young waitress volunteered. "But she has no boyfriend. I would know if she did! Do you think that nasty serial killer got her?" Fear rippled through the waitresses. A few even started crying openly. "Thank you. Go back home now," Kagome said mildly as she glanced at the entrance. "The Shinjuku line will be closed due to flooding soon. Ogawa-san wouldn't mind closing early, will you?"

"Go home," the manager said weakly. The girls scurried off to the back to change to their street clothes. The wind was beginning to pick up and Megumi noticed water starting to seep into the café from the street. The café was a basement unit. Ogawa let out a groan as the trickle of muddy water turned into a torrent. He waddled into the back and emerged with a mop. The water would spoil the carpeting. Megumi glanced once more at the café. An annoyed cat meowed and leapt out of the way of the water. It slinked off to join his owner, who was trying to blend into the shadows.

"There in the far corner," Meiling pointed out to her companions. "Yamada-san. I recognize his cat."

"Francis Kim, the man reading in the other corner," Megumi recognized the student when he lowered his newspaper.

"Koda Kagome, where are you?" Nanami's voice crackled suddenly over Kagome's DDS watch communicator. "Your mother's at the hostel and wondering…"

"In Shinjuku, at the Sweetie Pie Maid Café with two suspects in our sights," Kagome whispered. "Get back to the campus immediately! I absolutely forbid you…" Nanami's voice was cut off abruptly as Kagome resolutely turned off her communicator. "Shall we obey the Principal's orders and go back in this terrible rain or wait here for it to stop?" Kagome asked mildly.

**Author's Notes:**

Kagome is being rebellious here. Kazuma has been rescued but is in critical condition. Erik thinks St Clair is hiding something. Prediction: stormy weather ahead.


	26. The Game's Afoot

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**25. The Game's Afoot**

"Yamada-san!" Kagome called out melodiously. The DDS assistant choked on his coffee. "K-Koda? I didn't expect to see you here…" he spluttered. Kagome sat down next to him. "It's raining heavily outside…" she purred. Meiling picked the Persian off the floor and into her lap. "It is scary… that possibly three girls from this café were victims of the Ripper… Do you know the victims?"

"Afraid not," Yamada said. Seeking to change the subject, he turned to Meiling. "He is a nice cat, isn't he?" Meiling nodded. Megumi shrugged. She watched Francis Kim, wondering whether she should strike up a conversation with him. Her watch communicator sounded suddenly.

"_Megu?" Kyu's voice trembled. "I'm calling from the hospital…"_

"Hospital? What happened?"

"_It is Kazuma. He was attacked and is in the operating theatre. He is in bad shape. Where are you?" _Megumi looked up to see her suspect paying his bill. Meiling was engrossed in the cat while Kagome was continuing her conversation with Yamada. Megumi hurriedly scrawled a message on a napkin and placed it on the table. "Hang on, Kyu. I'm on a case …" she hurriedly followed behind Kim as he stepped out of the café. They walked a short distance out along the covered walkway outside. The medical student suddenly covered his head with the newspaper, ran out and hailed a passing taxi. Megumi groaned. It was the end of her shadowing. She memorized the cab number before returning to the café.

She was surprised to find it empty apart from the manager mopping the ever-growing puddle near the door. "Ogawa-san, have you seen Koda?" she asked. It was odd. _Had Yamada left the café and the two girls following him? Surely, they would have left some sign if they had done so. _Ogawa shrugged. "Koda went to the back. As to her friend, I didn't notice… If you'd excuse me, I'm closing up…"

"Just a moment, please… I need the washroom," Megumi cautiously walked to the back where the washrooms were and pushed open the door. Koda Kagome was sprawled on the floor of the washroom. The contents of her purse was scattered about her. There was no sign of Meiling. "Kagome!" Megumi shook her shoulders. "Call the police!" she yelled. The café manager stood stunned. "Hurry!" Kagome's eyes fluttered open and she struggled to sit up. It was then that Megumi noticed the twin deep red marks running almost around her neck.

* * *

"The victim has been identified as Toshima Kikuko. Her father filed a missing persons report yesterday. She has been missing for a while but due to her history of running away, the family only took notice when she failed to visit her grandmother as promised. Like the other victims, there is no suggestion of sexual assault at this point. Multiple stab wounds, slashes to the neck region resulting in near-decapitation… It is a bad business, Kotaro," Maki emerged from the chamber of horrors and delivered his preliminary report. "Based on the bloodstains, this is the primary crime scene. We also found this…"

"Hairs?" Nanami studied the samples collected from the carpet at the crime scene.

"Animal hairs, most likely," Maki suggested. They were unlike human hair in texture or colour. "Probably a cat or dog… but we need tests to be sure…"

"_Nanami-sensei!"_ Megumi's voice suddenly sounded over the principal's watch communicator. _"Meiling, the Ripper has taken Meiling! We think he is Yamada Gen! Please hurry…"_

"Megumi! How's Kagome?" Nanami nearly shouted into the communicator.

"She's alright, I think. We're in the washroom of the Sweetie Pie Maid Café at Shinjuku. He tried to strangle her…" Megumi continued. Kagome coughed and lowered her hand from around her neck, pulling the cord away. "Uncle Kotaro?" she croaked into the communicator. "I am fine… played dead." It was sheer luck that she had brought her hand up to adjust her collar when her attacker threw the cord around her neck. Still, the pressure was sufficient to cause her to black out for a few minutes. "I saw his face in the mirror. It's him."

* * *

Meiling sat in the backseat of Yamada's car. Something was very wrong. Yamada had offered to give them a ride back to DDS, but once she got in, he had told her that Kagome and Megumi had gone home. Kagome lived in the hostel near the campus. It was a lie. Before she could disembark, the car had started and the doors locked. Feigning ignorance, she cuddled the Persian cat in front of her while her fingers worked. She switched the tracker on her DDS watch and peered out through the pouring rain, trying to locate landmarks.

Both Erik and Junior were surprised when a message simultaneously appeared on their mobile phones. _The Ripper is Yamada. He has me. _It was from Meiling.

* * *

Jormungand struggled to make his way down the path, which was turning into a marsh. He shouted in pain as he fell onto his face. Pain jarred up his leg. It hurt. The rain was lashing at him like stinging needles. "Meiling… please be okay…" he moaned.

"Need a ride, Jormungand?" a voice called out. "Kerberos," Jormungand recognized the young man under the black umbrella. "Are you here to mock me?"

"That little girl, she means a lot to you," Kerberos said matter-of-factly. He discarded his umbrella and scooped up the much smaller Jormungand. "Lemme go!" he shouted and kicked.

"Fine, if you wish to crawl through the mud instead of accepting Lady Hel's offer…"

"Nee-sama's instructions?" Jormungand stopped kicking. He allowed Kerberos to carry him to the waiting taxi. "Be careful, little brother," Hel beamed at him as Kerberos retrieved his battered laptop from where it had fallen. "Why are you helping me, nee-sama?" Jormungand asked. Hel only smiled. "The game's afoot."

* * *

Nanami and the police arrived at the café shortly. "Uncle Kotaro, we can track Meiling through her communicator, if she hasn't lost it… we got a laptop from Ogawa. Erik or Junior could… " Kagome greeted him quietly quietly. Nanami groaned and shook his head. He had already alerted the science department but the bad weather and the distance from campus was affecting the signal from Meiling. The tech-savvy Kazuma was still in critical condition on the operating table. As for Junior and Erik, they could not be contacted. Katagiri was on the road, driving both Kyu and Kinta to the café. Flooding was slowing them down.

"Ryu! What can we do now?" Megumi exclaimed as Ryu walked in through the door. Ryu was the first to reach the café after Nanami and the police. After his shock at meeting his soon-to-be stepmother, the teen had taken a walk in the vicinity. "We need a laptop and Kazuma…" Ryu said. "Kazuma has been attacked and he is being operated on now," Megumi said. Ryu fished out his mobile phone and saw too late the message from Kyu he had missed.

* * *

Erik cursed, keeping an eye on the messages Meiling was sending. The rain obscured his view. _Hanami Restaurant… a building with a large TV… a bridge…_ His DDS watch communicator was broken from when he had fallen trying to race through the storm. Thunder cracked and lightning flashed. Warmer… warmer… The bleep which was Meiling's signal flashed on his screen.

Junior wiped wet hair out of his eyes. His clothes were soaked. "Stop there!" The driver glided to a slow stop.

"Here we are, princess," Yamada pulled up next to a closed carnival. "This is not DDS…" Meiling acted innocent and hid her phone behind her back. Yamada turned and leaned over to her. With lightning-speed, he tore the watch off her wrist. At that same instant, Meiling seized the cat and threw it into his face. She tried the door again. This time it opened. She leapt from the car and ran through the rain.

**Author's Notes: **

Things are heating up. I think we all know who the Ripper is by now. Can they rescue Meiling before it is too late?


	27. Death of the Ripper

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

Meiling's in big, BIG trouble.

**26. Death of the Ripper**

"Help!" Meiling slipped on the mud and fell. A sharp pain jolted up her leg and she knew she had sprained her ankle. "Aren't we having fun, princess?" the madman caught up with her. She backed up against a dumpster, terrified. She was trapped. Lightning flashed and she saw the knife in his hand…

* * *

"Jormungand, a present for you. Use them wisely," Hel smiled and passed the box to Jormungand. "Thank you, nee-sama," Jormungand took the box from her, his eyes blank and unseeing. She looked on as he dully loaded his pistol with the new rounds. Kerberos watched the exchange through the rear-view mirror uneasily. The rounds were special expanding-tips designed to inflict maximum damage on hitting their target. Illegal but Lady Hel had managed to get them off the local black market.

He waited until Jormungand disembarked into the pouring rain. "Lady Risa, this is risky… Pluto has never required any member to kill before… the rules…"

"Changed when Grandfather died, Kero-kun. Or have you not realized that? Little Ryunosuke will do what he is required to do," Hel laughed.

A loud bang rang out and was drowned by the thunder and howling wind.

* * *

"Nanami-san, the Science department has managed a trace on Meiling," St Clair's voice crackled to life over his watch communicator. "She's on Hanabi Street 3, near the Hanabi Summer Carnival. The signal is stationary…"

"Good work, St Clair-san!" Nanami replied. His heart sank. A stationary signal could mean anything. They needed to hurry.

"Megu, how are things there? The underpass is flooded and we can't get to Shinjuku. Katagiri-sensei says we have to return to DDS …" Kyu's voice crackled over Megumi's watch communicator. "Kinta and I will try to find some leads on who attacked Kazuma…" Megumi looked at Ryu, who nodded. "Kyu, Ryu and I will help Nanami-sensei here. You guys go on back."

* * *

"Damn! What's going on?" Kinta demanded. "Nanami-sensei and the police will take care of matters in Shinjuku. We must go back to campus and look at the place Kazuma was attacked and where he was found," Kyu said. They could only pray that Meiling would be alright. A thought occurred to Kinta. "Kyu, why do you suppose Kazuma was attacked? Who do you think did it?"

"It might be Yamada. He is an employee of DDS and we are working on the Ripper case… if he had reason to think Kazuma has found some evidence…" Kyu paused. "Kazuma's laptop is missing, but not his phone. He might have some evidence on his laptop. After attacking Kazuma in the classroom, he moved him to the basement storeroom and put him in the freezer to dispose of later… Yamada would know of the basement storeroom but did he have time?"

"We got back about ten minutes later than Kagome's group. Then we went straight to look for Kazuma. How long did they estimate Kazuma was in the freezer?" he asked.

"According to the doctor, he had been in the freezer for between half to an hour. Yamada's place is a ten minute drive away but he did not leave during the visit," Katagiri replied. "Which means that Yamada did not have the opportunity… I can't imagine that he would be the Ripper…"

"It must be Pluto's spy! He is one of us, but who?" Kinta wondered. It could be anyone of the DDS student and staff body. "But only the few of us knew Kazuma was using that room… Most of us have alibis…"

"It's still too early, Kinta. We must look at the scene…" Kyu said grimly. He was certain he had seen something earlier but failed to pay more attention given the situation then.

* * *

His first thought on arriving at the scene was that he was too late. Nanami braked so suddenly that the police car behind actually rear-ended his car, jolting its occupants. "Stay in the car," he ordered his students. Ryu, Kagome and Megumi nodded. The policemen drew their weapons and approached the car, only to find it empty apart from a soaking-wet cat shivering on the back seat. He recognized the DDS watch lying on the seat with the mobile phone.

"Nanami-sensei…" a tiny voice called out.

"Meiling!" Nanami turned around and saw the Chinese girl standing in the slowing rain. Her blouse and skirt were streaked with blood. "Oh kami!" he ran over to her, and saw the scene in the alley. Near the dumpster, Erik Thorsen stood over their very dead suspect. A wicked-looking length of steel piping was clutched in his hand. The back of the Ripper's head was a bloody pulp of pulverised bone and brain matter. Blood stained the puddles red. The knife clutched in the dead hand winked harmlessly. Erik looked at his principal.

"I didn't do it, sir. He was like this when I found them…" he looked at the piping in his hand and let it drop into the mud.

"We've found Meiling… she is safe," Nanami relayed their discovery back to the campus. "We need the coroner and a forensics team, pronto…" The rain would destroy any evidence that remained. A policeman approached Erik, who went with him quietly. Nanami took Meiling's hand. The girl broke out into tears as the shock caught up with her. Nanami took off his jacket and wrapped it round the shivering girl.

It was a good thing there was no victim, this time, or ever… _Had Erik struck out in an attempt to save Meiling? _The blond Norwegian teen was silent as he got into the police car.

* * *

St Clair breathed a sigh of relief at the rescue of Meiling. She returned to the hostel was horrified to find one of her students sprawled across the entranceway with a worried nun bending over him. "Sister Anna, what happened?" The nun looked up. "I found him like this when I got back. I believe he has been out in the storm…"

St Clair put her hand on Junior Bartley's brow. "He's running a fever. Get a doctor, now!" The nun grabbed an umbrella and sprinted out in her slippers. The teacher lifted the boy onto the sofa. She would need to sponge him down. With his weakened immune system, any infection however slight, could prove fatal for him. Sister Anna was right about him being out in the storm. Junior's clothes were not only wet, but muddy. His wheelchair sat on the porch, equally wet and muddied. Perhaps he had fallen out of his wheelchair onto the path and had to crawl back in the rain.

First, the wet clothes must go… St Clair grabbed several towels from the linen closet. She rubbed down his sodden hair vigorously. The boy moaned something intelligible. She undid his shirt. _Oh my god!_ She suddenly felt weak and stepped back.

"Doctor, here!" Sister Anna was back with the doctor. She could leave him in their capable hands.

* * *

"Kyu, what are we looking for?" Kinta asked as the pair crawled along the corridor outside the basement storeroom on all fours. "This," Kyu pointed out a series of tracks. "They could be from the trolleys…" Kinta protested. Kyu nodded and walked over to a discarded trolley lying at the end of the corridor. He pulled out a measuring tape he had requested from the staff office earlier.

"I see what you mean!" Kinta exclaimed. "Something other than a trolley was used to move Kazuma… Kyu, wait up!"

"I need to check something!" Kyu sprinted upstairs and over to the building housing the DDS medical centre. He stopped by the doorway and asked the duty nurse a question. Puzzled, she led both boys to one of the wards.

_The classroom where Kazuma was attacked was on the ground floor. The storeroom is just an elevator ride down. Why would the attacker risk going al the way to the medical centre? Kazuma was not very heavy given his age._ Kyu pondered. "Everyone, my place, three o'clock tomorrow," he dialled Ryu's number and spoke quietly into his phone. The typhoon was moving away from Tokyo and they could expect most roads to be open by that time.

"Roger that." He was relieved to hear Ryu's reply. His friend seemed to have got over the shock of his father's impending remarriage. He called Megumi.

"Kyu, they are holding Erik pending the investigations. They think he killed Yamada… It is self-defence, isn't it?" Megumi asked. "Probably," Kyu replied. "He was trying to save Meiling." But if Erik did it, it was unlike him to deny it. "Megu. I believe I may know who attacked Kazuma…"

**Author's Notes:**

A not-so good ending for the Ripper case. Did Erik do it? Or someone else? What has Kyu discovered? Who is the Pluto spy? Any guess on Kazuma's attacker?

Please review.


	28. Crescendo

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**27. Crescendo **

"God, why now? Why? What could it mean?" Theodora St Clair knelt before the altar in the church in fervent prayer. The puzzled priest looked on. It was unlike her to be so devout. She had been on her knees since morning.

* * *

Erik stretched on his cot in the local lock-up. Nanami had assured him that apart from shock, Meiling was unharmed. That was sufficient for him. The stymied police were unable to coax any more information besides his original statement. _He arrived on the scene to find their suspect dead and Meiling in hysterics. He had taken the pipe off the street for protection. He was unable to contact his fellows because of his ruined communicator. _What more did they expect? He yawned, rolled over and went to sleep.

* * *

Meiling sat up in a hospital bed as she slowly recovered. Nanami asked her questions gently. "Meiling, did Erik hit him?" The Chinese girl shook her head. "What happened, Meiling?" The girl held her shoulders and shuddered. "I don't know… His head exploded or something… Blood everywhere…" That was as far as she got before breaking out into another fit of tears. Nanami rang for the nurse and stepped out of the ward to answer his communicator. It was Maki.

"Maki-san, Qin Meiling is still in shock. Any results on the autopsy?" Nanami replied. It must be difficult for Maki, since his new assistant turned out to be the Ripper. "First, the hairs at the mansion crime scene are a close match to those on Yamada's cat. DNA confirmation is in process," Maki paused to stroke the head of the now-dry and well-fed Persian cat lazing on his table. The cat purred contently. "Secondly, the victim has scratch marks on his forearms… Human skin tissue and blood was also collected from under the claws of Yamada's cat."

"Meiling said she threw the cat at him as a distraction," Nanami said grimly. "Did he die from a blow to the head?"

"Nope. I found bullet fragments in what's left of his skull. Too much damage for matching bullets, but it would suggest a shot to the temple, at point blank. Gunshot burns were found on his skin. The bullet is what worries me."

"Could a bullet do that much damage?"

"There is a type of bullet capable of such damage. Hollow-tips. Illegal in most places without a permit. Based on the fragments recovered, it is from a small calibre pistol. On impact, the bullet tip shatters to tear into the tissue, causing massive damage… "

"Wait, you say point blank?" Nanami frowned. Meiling could have seen the shooter. _Was she so shocked by it that she blocked out the memory? Or was she covering up for Erik or someone else? _

"Nanami-san, I never thought he would be the one… I mean, he always seemed a well-adjusted individual to me… I guess there are some things we thought we knew but we didn't really know. His family has been informed," Maki remarked. "His father was, well, indifferent about it. He's leaving the police to make the arrangements after the autopsy. Seems he left the family home a few years back… I'm almost tempted to believe Pluto may have a hand in this."

"Probably yes, but even if they did influence Yamada in some way, we can't prove it. What I am worried about is the unsolved murder of Toya Kuniko and the brazen attack on Narusawa Kazuma. The boy is stable but still in a coma. Someone very near us is a Pluto spy," Nanami frowned as he read the report Katagiri had sent to him once the typhoon had passed and the roads clear. Due to the typhoon warning, only Class Q, Class E and a handful of staff and students were on campus. How odd that the school's surveillance systems had failed them again at that point. No recording for the crucial hours were recovered.

"Nanami, one other thing is bugging me. You said you were online chatting with Ken Bartley yesterday… There was a technical problem with the nation's Internet connections yesterday. All connections to the US websites and servers were lost from about 3pm yesterday until 10 this morning due to a severed undersea cable. There was no way you could have chatted with him at 4.30, unless he's not in America."

Nanami fished out the case file on the Ripper case from his briefcase and flipped to a series of emails. "Maki, you're right. All the emails sent by him have Tokyo time. I think he may be in Japan." _What could bring the elusive hermit Ken Bartley out of hiding? Why hadn't he contacted his only son? _

* * *

In Kyu's room, the four teens were gathered. "Are you sure he is the one? It seems impossible…" Megumi remarked in disbelief. Ryu had arrived an hour earlier than the others and was busy searching the web on Kyu's computer. "This mystery is deeper than I ever expected," Ryu said. Since Kyu had voiced his suspicions, Ryu had trawled the Internet on any articles relating to their suspect. "We still need solid proof," Kinta said. "A couple of loopholes in his story do not make a case."

"Kyu? Do you and your friends want to have some takoyaki?" Mrs Renjo called out. "Yes please, Mom. Thanks!" Kyu replied.

"I borrowed a camera from the Science department to take photographs of the tracks. And we tried to lift fingerprints from the freezer but found none. They have been wiped. Fingerprints taken from the elevator are too smudged to be of use," Kinta summarised and laid out the photos. "Maybe if we pay a visit to our suspect… we could find the missing piece we need." Kyu suggested. Ryu shook his head.

"No. He is too smart for it. He has been fooling so many for so long. We are dealing with an extremely intelligent person with Pluto's backing. We need Nanami-sensei's cooperation on this one. We need all the backup we can get."

* * *

Sister Anna smiled when she checked the thermometer. Junior's fever had finally broken. The boy now lay in a fidgety sleep. She tucked him in. "How's he? You must be tired, Sister?" a youthful priest enquired as he peered in through the open door. Sister Anna smiled. "He'll be alright, for now." She cast a glance at the battered wheelchair in the corner of the room. Mud and grass stained it. Perhaps they could wash it later. A pile of soiled clothes lay next to it.

"Father!" the boy called out in his sleep. "Don't go…" Sister Anna sighed. She bent over the sleeper and brushed the hair out of his face. "You know, I almost believe I'll miss him."

Upstairs in her room, Kagome laid out her tarot cards. She frowned. The omen was not good. She hugged her doll closer. "What will happen, Alice? How will the cards fall?" She looked at her cheap picture of the Holy Mother and Child. "Pray for us sinners… We all are sinners…" she shuffled the cards and spread them again although she knew the results will be the same.

* * *

In his ward, Kazuma lay almost dead to the world. Only the steady hum of the machines and the steady rise and fall of his chest hinted at life. Someone entered his ward silently.

"Narusawa, if you had cared to send this letter to me sooner, you probably wouldn't be here," a voice chided. It had been sheer hell trying to secure a flight into Tokyo given the typhoon. The bullet train was so costly. His visitor deposited her carry-bag by his bed. It wasn't really his fault that the location her last case took her to was too remote for Internet access or mobile phone. The subsequent vacation she took was to one of the region's more remote hot springs. She had only been able to access her email on reaching one of the region's large towns.

"Yukihira-san?" a new visitor stepped into the ward. "Hullo, Nanami-sensei," Yukihira Sakurako greeted the newcomer. "I believe I may have some…" They were interrupted by a call coming in on Nanami's communicator.

"_Nanami-sensei? This is Renjo Kyu…" _

**Author's Notes:**

The Ripper case is closed with an anticlimax but DDS is closing in on the Pluto spy.

Will the mysterious Cyber Sleuth and Junior's dad make an appearance?


	29. Jormungand

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

Sorry for the abrupt end to the Ripper case. Maybe someday I will write an AU fanfic with DDC working on the actual Ripper murders of Victorian London. I do have my own little theories on old Jack's identity, being the avid murder mystery fan I am…

**28. Jormungand**

Junior Bartley stuffed his dirty laundry into a basket on his lap and wheeled himself over to the hostel's washer. Normally, Sister Anna would help him. Since the nun was not around, he would have to manage it himself.

"Need a hand?" Kagome called out from where she was soaking a flimsy bit of black lace in cold water. "Thanks," Junior thanked her. The older girl heaved the load of muddied clothes into the washer. "I'll add in my own clothes, you better go grab breakfast. St Clair-sensei made pancakes. If you don't hurry, it will be all gone." She reached for her own laundry hamper.

"Sure," Junior wheeled himself out. Kagome muttered a soft prayer under her breath and tipped her sheets in.

* * *

"All the things are in place," Katagiri said as they hurried to Meiling's ward. They had discussed this and both Nanami and she agreed it was worth taking a risk. Meiling could have been hypnotized. "Will Kazuma be safe?" Katagiri asked.

Nanami nodded. "We had him transferred out quietly to another ward. He is showing signs of coming to. Erik has been released for lack of evidence. My niece just requested us all to wear bullet-proof vests if we are going to confront the killer. She will join us after she's done at the hostel. Class Q suspects our Pluto spy will try to silence Narusawa one way or another."

"Nanami, I would take Koda's suggestion. Hollowpoints were used to kill Yamada and we have seen the results from one of those," Katagiri knocked twice before opening the door. It was highly unusual for Pluto to intervene like this, certainly not the late Hades or Kerberos.

Meiling was asleep. Katagiri gently shook her awake. She hoped that the words they had obtained from Kerberos two years ago will work at breaking any hypnotic spell cast on Meiling. The girl stirred and rubbed her eyes. Katagiri quietly whispered into her ear. Meiling blinked.

* * *

Jormungand fidgeted uneasily. His plan had gone awry. Stash Kauzma in the freezer and dispose of the body once the uproar died down. He hadn't expected anyone to be near the freezer. He had been careless not to realise the boy had his phone in his pocket. Kazuma was not dead, only in a coma. Hel had assisted him in saving Meiling's life. At what price? His sister and Kerberos had both vanished after that. The look on Meiling's face when she recognized him haunted Jormungand. However, she did not speak of Kerberos must have stepped in to erase her memory of those terrible minutes. _If they found out… _

He had been sick in the car after blowing that pervert's brains out. He couldn't confess to anyone… If only Kazuma would continue in his coma…

"_If anything happens, there is always this path open to you… Sometimes, it is the only path…"_ Hel's cloying voice whispered in his head. The gun felt icy in his hands. He tucked it away in his jacket with a shudder. There were other, less messy methods.

That person had died when the shotgun accidentally went off in his face. It was a messy way to go. _Had he felt any pain?_ After all, the body was still warm when it was found. _His whole life had been a lie…_

"Visiting Narusawa Kazuma? Room 513," the smiling nurse at the counter directed him. "Do you need a hand, sir?"

"No thanks," he waved her offer aside. It would be simple and almost untraceable. _Sorry, Kazuma-kun._ He entered the ward. Kazuma was lying peacefully on the bed. The ventilator humming as they worked. Jormungand cautiously reached for the IV tube and pierced it with an empty syringe. Suddenly, the comatose boy seized his wrist, forcing him to drop the syringe.

"Why did it have to be you?" Kazuma spoke in Meiling's voice. She tore off the mask. Tears ran down her cheeks. "Why?"

"I never thought it would be you…" Nanami stepped out from behind the curtains. At his signal, the others entered the ward. The Pluto spy realized that he was trapped.

"You're the most promising students in Class E. Why? Why would you kill Kazuma?" Meiling asked. Jormungand stared at his feet in sullen silence. "Silence?" A disdainful voice called out. "Is that the answer you have for us? You were caught red-handed. Any explanations we should hear?" With cat-like grace, Erik stepped up and positioned himself strategically between Meiling and their captive. Kinta stood by the door, though they did not expect their captive to make a break for it.

"I first suspected you when I saw the tracks in the basement. They do not match those made by the trolleys," Kyu explained. "They do, however, match these," Kinta indicated the wheels of the wheelchair. "Then I realized that it made no sense for those at the DDS medical centre to be used, unless this was available at hand and you could not move Kazuma," Kyu continued.

"Do you have any proof?" Jormungand attempted to act defiant. Nanami nodded. "You sent your dirty clothes to the wash this morning. Kagome intercepted them. They are now in the DDS science lab. Preliminary tests show traces of blood… matching Narusawa's blood type as well as Yamada's."

"I couldn't have used this to move anything. You know I can't…" Jormungand patted his knee. "Lastly, your shoes… They were worn out on the soles. The right more than the left…" Kyu pointed at the shoes. "My guess is that you limp. Well enough to get around…"

"There is a big difference between being a detective and being a killer," Ryu gingerly picked up the syringe from the floor where it had rolled. A small bubble of air introduced into the veins, causing death. Naturally, that person had reason and access to medical syringes. Even if they had traced the cause of death had he succeeded, they would have easily overlooked him. Like him, Pluto had sent this person into DDS with a purpose. Unlike him, he had fallen, unable to trust anyone in his class. He gave a grateful glance in Kyu's direction. Things could have turned out very differently for him if it weren't for Renjo Kyu and Dan-sensei.

"Amakusa Ryu. You have no idea at all…" Jormungand said quietly. "Have any of you seen Hell? Known what it is to really taste Hell? Yamada the Ripper deserved what he got."

"_Where's Father?" a little boy waited hopelessly at the dusty airport. Be patient, little one. Father will be back soon… Soon, two weeks, two months… Father's not coming home, little one…_

"_Please, stop… it hurts!" he curled up in a ball, trying to shield himself from the barrage of kicks. The other kids cowered a safe distance away, watching, and probably thanking their lucky stars it wasn't them being beaten. He was coughing blood into the cheap carpet. "I'll teach you to say no, you worthless brat!" His tormentor lashed out with his steel-capped boots. The blow connected with his hip. He heard the sickening crack of bone breaking… _

_Lying in the sheets, pretending to be asleep. Praying that they wouldn't come for him tonight… A rough hand on his arm pulling him, no, dragging him to that room where… _

A wave of nausea washed over him. He swallowed, forcing the unwanted memories back into the recesses of his mind.

* * *

"Will it be alright to leave him like this, Lady Hel?" Kerberos asked. Hel shrugged and threw on her bathrobe. "It is not necessary to observe him, Kero-kun." She uncorked a bottle of wine and poured out two glasses, offering one to Kerberos. "Ryunosuke will die before he betrays us," she downed hers in a long gulp. After he has done what she wanted him to do, he wouldn't be able to live with himself… Otherwise, there was still her back-up plan… The room suddenly seemed to spin.

"Lady Risa!" Kerberos watched in horror as Lady Hel's knees suddenly buckled and she fell to the floor of the cheap motel in a swoon. He was at her side, shaking her and calling her name. Her eyes fluttered open as he carried her in his arms to the bed.

"Risa. You need a doctor… I'm getting one," he insisted as he made his way to the door.

"To hell with doctors, Kero! I've enough of them to last a lifetime!" Hel screamed. The bottle of red wine smashed onto the wall beside the door, leaving an ugly red stain on the wallpaper.

**Author's Notes:**

Any comments on my pairing between Hel and Kero? Jormangand suffered through a very bad childhood. I guess everyone should know who Jormungand is now.

About introducing an air bubble into the bloostream to cause death, this is real. The bubble will cause cardiac arrest by stopping the heart. That's why before administering jabs, nurses and doctors will check the syringe to ensure that no air is present inside. Next time you get a jab, watch how they go about filling the syringe.


	30. House of Cards

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**29. House of Cards**

"You had to move Kazuma fast. You knew freezing a body will mess up the time of death, thanks to our basic forensic course. You used your own wheelchair to move Kazuma down to the basement. If we were to send your wheelchair to forensics, we may find traces of Kazuma's blood on it…" Kyu continued his deduction.

"Junior Bartley, That isn't your real name, is it?" Ryu asked. Junior Bartley gave an icy laugh that eerily resembled Risa's, making the hairs on the nape of Ryu's neck stand. "I have been careless… My name? I have many… You may call me Jormungand, for now." With slow deliberateness, the boy got up from his wheelchair and stood as straight as his bad hip would allow. He put a finger tip to his eye and removed a green-coloured lens, flicking it to the ground. His eyes were odd, one green and the other brown.

"You are Loki's, no, Alexis Kokuo's son," Nanami gasped. "You have your father's eyes."

"I am glad you finally recognize me, Principal Nanami," Jormungand replied. "Cosmetic surgery does have some drawbacks…"

"The Serpent of Norse mythology coiled around the Earth, how fitting… So is the great Cyber Sleuth Ken Bartley nothing more than a Pluto cover?" Erik asked quietly. "Ken Bartley, is he the famous art thief Loki?"

"For someone in DDS, you are amazingly dull. If Father had lived…" Jormungand continued. "If Ken-sama had lived… I wouldn't be here listening to you."

"Why did you kill Kuniko?" Ryu asked. "I didn't. You fell for Fenrir's trap yourself," Jormungand snorted. "I had nothing to do with what he set up. And you failed to stop them from hurting Meiling. Yamada deserved what he got… no, I was too good to him…" Jormungand chuckled insanely. Everything was falling apart like a house of cards. Maybe that was what nee-sama wanted for him all along.

"Kazuma. You attacked him because of this news article and this letter from Ken Bartley," Nanami all but threw the printed article and the letter at him. "The real JR Bartley died of an allergic reaction to peanuts while undergo treatment for gunshot wounds after he was injured when a madman fired a gun at an AIDS rally. It was reported in a small town paper. In this letter to Dan-sensei, Ken Bartley referred to his son's allergy. You, on the other hand, have a fondness for peanut bars, a fact that your classmates have verified. He wrote this letter asking Dan-sensei to accept you as a student in DDS, citing your intelligence and determination to become a detective… What happened to Bartley?"

"Tripped on the steps of his family chalet while holding a loaded shotgun. Blew off his head. We sank the body in the nearby lake where his son's ashes were scattered. I did not kill him. I respected him. I regret that I could never replace his son. I was always his changeling. I act the part in front of his wife, until she finally succeeded in killing herself. It was a good deal then. A chance for a new life," Jormungand mused. "Just a few weeks of discomfort after the surgery and a new home… Like his son, I can't walk properly and I was an AIDS patient. He could never bear to tell his wife the kid he brought back from the hospital was not her boy. Afraid it would push her over the edge. She was on treatment for mental illness ever since her son's accident left him wheelchair bound." Jormungand's tone was conversational.

"Risa. When did you meet her?" Ryu asked. If Hades had been aware of this grandson, there was no way he would have left him to fend for himself. The youth before him was probably as emotionally unstable as Risa, and highly unpredictable.

"She was alone in the hospital when I met her, before Ken Bartley… Things were not so good for her then. Grandfather had some problems with the law. Nee-sama was a student and a minor. They couldn't take me in, could they? The authorities would've had put me into an orphanage like they did when Father died. And I swore I would never go back there, ever… When Ken died two years ago, nee-sama suggested I pretend to be him and it worked. I was assisting him for a while before that. I simply moved into New York City using his name to rent an apartment. I let the guys at NYPD think he was in his chalet in the mountains. Few knew who the real JR Bartley was. Nee-sama helped me a lot…"

"What happened to Loki?" Unnoticed, an ashen St Clair asked. She had been standing at the doorway, eavesdropping. Nanami raised an eyebrow. They had not included her in this plan. He then saw Kagome behind her.

"Father's dead. He died when the plane he was in crashed into a building. They never found his body. Anyhow, he was on a job and probably used an alias. I was seven and the town welfare couldn't trace my family so they dumped me in Angel Gardens… a fine name for a hellhole. I was there for only six months, but it seemed like six lifetimes," Jormungand spat bitterly. The teachers and Nanami exchanged glances. They were all aware of the scandal that had broken about a small Californian town's orphanage supplying children to the region's paedophiles and child porn industry. The remains of a dozen children who had died from neglect or abuse were recovered from the grounds.

"I guess this is the end, isn't it? Nanami-san? If only…" the boy paused suddenly, his head slumping forward. One hand dipped into his jacket. With lightning speed, he yanked out a pistol and fired it point-blank at Meiling. With a fierce roar, Erik had thrown himself in front of Meiling. Erik rolled onto the floor, clutching his profusely-bleeding arm. The girl screamed. Both Kinta and Nanami attempted to tackle the Pluto spy, _at the same time._ In the narrow confines of the ward, they only got into each other's way. The gun discharged twice at close range, hitting the principal in the thigh and Kinta in the chest. Kinta was knocked off his feet. Kagome screamed. The gunman let his arm drop at his side. Jormungand stood as if in shock.

"Megu! Get a doctor, hurry!" Kyu shouted. Megumi sprinted off. Both Kagome and Meiling were in hysterics. They had left Katagiri and Yukihira with Kazuma. He surveyed the situation. Kinta was wearing a bullet-proof vest like him and the others. Still the impact may be sufficient to cause some damage. He was thankful when Kinta clutched his chest and coughed. Erik clutched at his upper arm as the blood flowed out, his eyes still watching Junior. The most severely wounded was their principal. Ryu was tying a makeshift tourniquet fashioned from his belt above the ragged wound, hoping to slow the blood spurting out of his thigh.

"I guess there is still this…" Jormungand raised the gun and pressed the barrel against his chest. "Don't!" Kyu yelled. The boy closed his eyes. Suddenly St Clair, who had been standing by the door, rushed forward and enveloped him in a hug from behind.

"If you must go, take me with you," she whispered, tears running down her face. "Ryunosuke, I will not let you go bow that I've found you, my son."

"Liar!" the boy shrieked. "Liar, liar…" Yet his hand trembled. He lowered the gun and dropped it onto the floor. Ryu quickly darted forward to get the gun out of reach. The doctors who had been waiting outside for a chance to approach the wounded now rushed in. Nanami, Kinta and Erik were hurriedly whisked out. Kagome trotted after her uncle's stretcher. Kinta, though dazed, managed to give a thumbs-up to reassure his classmates.

"My mother died a long time ago. Father said so… Father would never lie to me…" Ryunosuke gave up completely and buried his face in his mother's shoulder. The sobs came in ragged breaths. St Clair stroked his hair, murmuring to him as one would to soothe a small child. Meiling hopped off the bed, torn between staying in the ward and running after Erik. She gave Ryunosuke a gentle pat on the back before running out.

"Alex and Dora, those are the names on your ring aren't they?" Megumi asked, her eyes darted momentarily to the ring on Jormungand's chain. Her memory did not fail her. The chain had fallen loose of his T-shirt in the commotion. "They stand for Alexis Kokuo and Theodora St Clair. And that's a wedding ring," Megumi continued. St Clair nodded slowly and reached into the front of her blouse with one hand, pulling out a similar ring on a silver chain.

"You must have guessed when St Clair-sensei asked Ken Bartley to look for her missing husband and son…" Kyu continued. "We will probably never know why your father chose to erase St Clair-sensei's memory and fake your deaths."

"Where's Risa?" Ryu asked. Given Ryunosuke's age and dependency on his sister, Risa must be somewhere close to him. Cursing under his breath, he wiped his bloodied hands on his jeans and sprinted out. "Ryu?" Kyu yelled. He glanced at Megumi, who nodded. He ran out, knowing Megumi and the others could manage the situation in the hospital. Ryu was trying to flag a taxi. "Ryu? What happened?" Kyu asked.

"We were fools not to realize. Surely someone would be aware Junior was not really paralysed. Junior did not undergo the medical check-up on admission at DDS, because Maki-sensei would have realised he wasn't really paralysed. Even if he did not have his medical checks done at DDS, he still needed constant care for his condition!" Ryu almost fell in front of a stopping taxi in his haste. The driver stared at his blood-stained clothes with suspicion and sped off. Ryu groaned.

Kyu slapped his forehead. "Sister Anna, Junior Bartley's caretaker! There is no time…" he pressed a few buttons on his communicator, contacting Maki-sensei and hoping that they could send a team from DDS to Eden House as soon as possible.

**Author's Notes:**

Sorry for the dragging confession. Will they be able to catch Lady Hell? Or will the good sister have flown? In a crisis, the standard practice is not to expose your paramedics or medical staff to danger. They can only go in to do first aid when the threat is removed. I think this must be a surprise, the Cyber Sleuth being played by a kid for 2 years. (Got this idea from Death Note where Kira masquerades as L after killing him)


	31. The Hermit

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

Sadly, it turned out that Jormungand's none other than Class E's Junior.

**30. The Hermit**

_2 weeks later _

"Sister Anna had fled by the time our people got there. The priest thinks she was transferred to a convent in Austria," Maki explained. "Careful now, you've had a massive operation to fix your femur and you don't want to rip open your artery… If you keep straining yourself, you'll affect the healing …"

Nanami hopped over to his chair and put down his crutches. "Speaking of Hougou, don't you think we should re-hire him? Now that St Clair has requested for extended leave, we will need someone to cover her teaching duties. Nanami did not reply. Instead he asked Maki a question. "How's Junior, I mean, Kokuo Ryunosuke?"

"Well, he's undergoing professional counselling. Unlikely he will be charged or his name released to the media given his age. He's one very messed-up lad. Some time in his past, he was subjected to physical and sexual abuse. His physical wounds have healed, apart from a badly-healed hip and femur that left him with a permanent limp. That is not including his HIV-positive status. His emotional trauma, however, is more deep-rooted. Even though his IQ is probably one of the highest recorded in a DDS student, his emotional state is that of a very insecure child," Maki consulted his report. "He stopped received any professional help after he was taken in by the Bartleys. He has been secretly relying on sleeping pills and painkillers, a habit he would need break."

Nanami rubbed his eyes. "I never realized. I see him almost every day, yet I never realised."

"A piece of good news, Nanami-san. Narusawa Kazuma since has awoken from his coma, there is no sign of brain damage. Patient is conscious and alert. Slight frostbite suffered to the hands, feet and ears healing well. He is due to be released today," Maki continued. "Nanami, you should have stayed in hospital like I advised."

Nanami shook his head. "There is someone I must see." Katagiri rolled her eyes. Nanami could be as stubborn as Hougou at times. Katagiri raised a hand.

"The news of Ken Bartley's real identity for the past two years almost gave the NYPD chief a coronary. This will jeopardize a good number of their cases. A number of predators may be out on the streets due to evidence getting tossed out on technicalities. The NYPD has requested DDC assistance. I have booked a flight to New York the morning after tomorrow," Katagiri said. "Besides, after all the work Junior, I mean, Ryunosuke put into getting those creeps locked up, it will be a shame if they were released and continue harming children…"

"He's still not talking regarding his fellow Pluto members," Nanami said. _Misplaced loyalty perhaps? Loyalty to his sister, family… _The abuses at the orphanage never made it to court since the persons involved all died before the trial, three suicides, one auto accident and two from HIV-related complications. The surviving child victims were simply shuttled off to various medical and welfare facilities, just like Ryunosuke was. As a result, Ryunosuke found it hard to trust the establishment, authority and most adults.

* * *

"I can't use my laptop!" Kazuma flapped his hands, showing his bandaged fingers. "You didn't lose any fingers or toes. Isn't that lucky enough?" Kinta retorted. He gritted his teeth as the pain from his busted rib hit him. Kazuma playfully tried to whack Kinta with his bandaged hands. Kinta dodged the blows. "Kinta, where's Junior? Has he been locked away?" Kazuma panted when he stopped. Kinta shrugged.

"Is he in prison? The little rat ruined my tattoo! It cost me a bomb to get in Oslo and being grounded by uncle for two months," Erik complained as he strolled in. He rolled up his sleeve and ripped off his dressing to show his tattoo. The scar tissue obliterated most of it. The bullet had taken off a good bit of the skin and Erik had to undergo an operation to remove fragments and repair the torn muscles.

"Nanami-sensei placed him in that facility we used for holding Pluto members," Kinta replied. "My instincts told me he was odd even from Day 1," Erik explained. "I never thought he would pull a gun on Meiling… I would say he liked her. Everyone knows Meiling likes him."

"So do you like Meiling?" Kinta nudged. Erik blushed and shook his head. "Na, I think of her as a kid sister only…"

"Junior's only a kid, isn't he? We don't have to lock him up, do we? Even if he did almost kill me…" Kazuma asked. "Nanami says it is more for his protection. They did remodel his room a bit to make it friendlier but the security measures are still significant. St Clair said she would spend some time with him. I find it hard to believe they are mother and son, even with the DNA confirmation…" Kinta said.

"How are they getting on?" Erik asked. "Well, Yukihira went there yesterday with St Clair. According to her, he's uncomfortable around her. Can't blame him. Must be a shock to find out mom's still alive after so many years. St Clair is just as uncomfortable with him… Ready to go, Kazu-kun?" Kinta replied and hefted the small sling-bag containing Kazuma's belongings. The limo would be waiting down in the parking lot. Kazuma nodded.

Erik peered out the window overlooking the parking lot. "Narusawa, your limo is bigger than my uncle's car," the blond teen's eyes bugged out. The trio stuck their heads out the window for a better look. Below, Kazuma's shiny black limo was parked next to a modest lime-green Beetle with a Norwegian flag painted on its top. Kazuma's butler was talking to a jolly, plump, grey-haired Caucasian man with a pipe. The Norwegian ambassador looked up, saw his nephew and waved.

"Kazu, I have not told you yet. Ryu's father's remarrying in a week," Kinta added. "His soon-to-be stepmother's some American elite violinist sort. The guest list will probably read like a who's who of American and European high society. Think you could suggest a decent wedding gift? Ryu will be his dad's best man…"

* * *

"It's here!" Meiling held a parcel aloft and skipped around the hostel kitchen, finishing with a double somersault and knocking over the cookie jar. Kagome raised an eyebrow at the Chinese girl's antics. Meiling ripped off the brown paper and unveiled a mildewed photo album. She flipped the pages and extracted a series of faded photographs. The photographs showed two children smiling shyly on the banks of a large river.

"That's Junior, isn't it?" Kagome asked. Meiling nodded. The boy's eyes were odd, one green and the other brown. Meiling decided on a photo showing the children holding a cat that had odd eyes as well.

"I suspected the first time I saw him in DDS, but he looked so different… He was living in my block for about a month. We used to play cops and robbers… He always let me catch him when I'm the cop. I never could catch the other kids because I'm too slow," Meiling said wistfully and twirled the end of her pigtail round her finger. "He left very suddenly with his father… Maybe I could ask St Clair-sensei if I could visit him," she shrugged and skipped out. The older girl shuffled her tarot cards and spread out the cards.

"The Hermit. He has travelled a long way with little rest. It is time for him to look in on himself, find what is within. See past the confusion and withdraw for a while, before setting out… But this withdrawal may be isolation, cutting off all ties with this world. Think she will get to speak to him, Alice? Think St Clair-san will get through to him?" Kagome smoothed down her lacy black skirts cuddled her doll. "I wonder what type of bento Uncle Kotaro likes…"

**Author's Notes:**

Kagome has not gotten over her crush on her uncle Kotaro. Ryu's getting a stepmother. Another case?


	32. Interlude

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**31. Interlude **

The detention centre was relatively unchanged, Kyu remembered it from the time Class Q went on that field trip to see Kerberos. Now, they were in a sparsely-furnished but cosy room. The simple bunk bed was covered with a teddy-bear print quilt. Ryunosuke sat on the bunk, harmonica to his lips as he played a melancholy tune. His laptop sat idle on a desk. There was no sign of his wheelchair. Instead a pair of crutches lay at the foot of the bunk. The music echoed along the corridor. Nanami, St Clair, Ryu and Kyu exchanged glances.

Finally, the youth took the harmonica away from his lips and placed it on his lap. "Are you here to ask me about nee-sama again? If yes, you are only wasting our time. There is nothing I can tell you about nee-sama."

"Ryunosuke, St Clair-sensei told me that you have not been taking your medicine," Nanami said sternly. He leant heavily on a crutch to keep his weight off his injured leg. "What's the point?" Ryunosuke shrugged. "Chief O'Reilly was on the phone earlier. I messed up, didn't I? He's real mad at me. The cases I helped them with as Ken Bartley… they are totally messed up right?"

"DDS handbook. A detective cannot give up…" Kyu said. "I'm not a detective, Renjo. I am a fraud," Ryunosuke said. "I'm not as strong as Father, nee-sama, or even you…" he cast a fleeting glance in Ryu's direction.

"Look here, Katagiri-san sensei will be going to New York to help Chief O'Reilly to tidy up those loose ends. They wouldn't let those criminals walk if they are guilty," St Clair said.

"You aren't angry at me for busting your leg, Nanami-san?" Ryunosuke asked dully. "You were hypnotized. You didn't mean to shoot me or any of the others," Nanami said. The boy only looked away. "I tried to kill Kazuma, didn't I? Just leave me alone."

"Ryunosuke…" St Clair started. "Sorry, Ma. It just wouldn't work out…" the boy looked at the floor of his cell. "There's nothing for us…"

Nanami's communicator buzzed suddenly. He limped aside to answer it. When he was finished, he looked at Ryunosuke. "You have some visitors."

"Send them away. I don't need more pity." He burrowed under the quilt. "Tired, I wanna sleep."

"They wouldn't take no for an answer. Meiling asks if you still remember a promise you made on the banks of the Yangtze. Something about never letting a woman cry. We'll go now…"

"_Why do you let me catch you, Ryunosuke?" The eyes looking back at him reminded him of the river that river that flowed beside them, sparkling with sunlight. _

"_Because you will cry if you can't catch anyone… And my Pa always says it is bad if a man lets a woman cry… so I promise not to let you cry…" Ryunosuke blushed furiously when his pigtailed playmate gave him a peck on the cheek. _

"I'll see them," Ryunosuke popped his head out from the quilt. Nanami nodded and led the others out. "Think he will be alright, Nanami-sensei?" Ryu asked. "Don't worry, Ryu!" Kyu chirped. "Meiling will get to him…" He frowned and his words trailed off when he saw the four visitors. Meiling was not alone. With her was Kazuma, who was lugging a large bag. Behind them were Erik and Kagome. Kagome blew a cheeky kiss at her uncle as they passed in the corridor. She wore a Gothic Lolita frock and toted a bouquet of sunflowers along with her precious doll. Erik had obviously come straight from attending some diplomatic function as he wore a smart tuxedo. His tie was loose, a concession made to his rebellious nature. His injured arm was in a loose sling.

"Kazuma, will you be alright?" Ryu asked. Kazuma nodded. "I have to do this, Ryu." He needed to meet his attacker face-to-face to find closure.

* * *

"Sorry I tried to kill you Kazuma-kun, Thorsen-san…" Ryunosuke blinked when he saw his other visitors. He hadn't been expected the others. "Apology accepted," Kazuma replied. It was difficult to be angry at the broken wreck the once confident Junior Bartley had become. "Let's see, you busted my arm. But your aim was off by a mile. However, you tried to shoot Meiling and made both Kagome and Meiling cry. If you weren't a cripple and HIV patient, I'd hit you so hard that you'll be spitting teeth for months!" Erik retorted.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Erik. They knocked out my real teeth back then," Ryunosuke grinned widely. "These are dental implants. So I guess you are here to see me rot?"

"Ryunosuke, you idiot!" Meiling flung the photo frame at him. It landed on the bunk bed. "Junior, no, Ryunosuke, are you seriously giving up? Are you going to give up like that? I know you are made of tougher stuff than this. What will your father think? What will Ken Bartley think?" Kagome stepped up, placed both bouquet and doll gently on the bed and dealt him a resounding slap across the cheek. "You are still alive, aren't you? We're still alive. And you are still our classmate, no matter what your name is! Isn't that right?" She turned to her classmates. Erik grudgingly murmured something that would have been 'yes'. Meiling sniffled and nodded.

Kazuma peered at the photo Meiling had brought. "Ryunosuke, is that you in that dorky hat?" he remarked. "It isn't dorky, Meiling gave it to me at the fair," Ryunosuke retorted before clapping a hand over his mouth. "Do you still remember that cat?" Meiling chirped and sat next to her childhood playmate. "Hey, Kazuma, do you think Ryunosuke looks more handsome in the photo?" Meiling teased. "I thought plastic surgery was meant to improve looks." Ryunosuke turned bright red when she playfully placed her hands on his cheeks.

"Say you guys want to play?" Kazuma pulled out his portable Playstation from his bag. "I promised myself I'll totally slaughter Junior at Fighter Ace III."

Kagome nudged Erik. "Go on, ask him." Erik grumbled. She kicked him in the shin. He complied. "Junior, or Ryu-whatever your name is, I need your help to find my sister…"

"You didn't tell me she had an extra finger on her right hand," Ryunosuke replied in a serious tone. "Ask Nanami-sensei for the blue file they took from my room, Item 13. But I warn you, it is going to be shocking…"

"I-is s-she alive?" Erik stuttered. It was true. He hadn't mentioned that peculiar deformity to Junior. His parents were considering surgery to correct that when they were murdered. Ryunosuke nodded slowly. Kagome noticed that she had slipped a tarot card into her pocket by accident. She pulled it out. The _Death _card_._ The grim reaper grinned as his skeletal horse trampled a child's limp corpse.

* * *

A few days later…

"Ryu, you look so handsome in that," his soon-to-be stepmother smiled and complimented him as he stepped into the room in his best man's clothes. Judith Neeve and his father were done fitting their outfits for the wedding. The two bridesmaids squealed in delight at the sight of the best man. Ryu imaged that he would one day be Kyu's best man, but definitely not his father's. The prim shop assistant nodded in agreement as she pinned the bridal train. Ryu fidgeted awkwardly. The shop assistant excused herself and left the room.

Outside, the woman removed her prim glasses and adjusted her wig. A wave of nausea took her off-guard. She dashed for the washroom and retched into the sink. "Sis?" A worried Fenrir peered into the washroom. "You sick?"

Risa shook her head. "No, Ryoma. This is just a little discomfort that comes naturally to…"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Fenrir shouted in Russian, receiving an odd look from a passing flower girl in the corridor of the very posh La Belle Bridal. Hel sighed and pulled Fenrir into the washroom. He could be so emotional at times. "Who's the father? I'm going to totally kill him," Fenrir muttered in Russian. "Don't be silly now," Hel patted her still-flat belly. "You know the father too."

"Your health?" A pregnancy on top of Hel's weak health was a cause for concern.

"I'll manage. Just keep it from him a bit. Kero-kun may get a little jumpy in the face of impeding fatherhood."

"So what do we do about Ryunosuke? DDC has him in custody," Fenrir asked. Surely Ryunosuke had outlived his usefulness. "Have you gotten the pills?" Hel asked. Fenrir nodded. "Good, swap his meds the next time he comes to fill his prescription tat the hospital. Slip a few into the pharmacy's store as well. Russian roulette with a twist," Hel replied before puking into the sink again.

**Author's Notes:**

Lady Hel and Kerberos' bedroom games are bound to have some side-effects, like a stork on the way. I do hope the tension in Class E is eased. Junior/Ryunosuke has a little peace offering for Erik. Wonder if Erik will follow up that lead.


	33. Teddy Bear Picnic

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**32. Teddy Bear Picnic**

Two weeks later, Erik was walking in the mall alone. Who would have thought that Ryunosuke would have come through with regards to his long-lost sister? The blond smiled at the memory of the smiling girl from the photo. Of course, they would need to undergo a DNA test to be sure. Still, the girl resembled Inge, right down to the dimple on her chin. _She's happy, that was all that mattered, right?_ The man next to her was tall, with an eye patch over one eye. He had a protective hand on her shoulder. Erik had avoided looking at the tabloid heading. If Junior was right…

"Erik-san!" He turned around and saw Kagome waving at him. "Game arcade again?"

"Yeah," Erik replied.

"Shouldn't you get a present for Junior the next time you visit?" Without waiting for a reply, she dragged him by the arm into a nearby gift shop. "I s-suppose…" Erik stammered. Ryunosuke had helped them with a burglary case a few days ago. It was odd that the fragmented Class E was finally working as a team.

Ten minutes later, Erik found himself in possession of a large fluffy teddy. "Ryunosuke will love this bear," Kagome had all but forced it on him. Erik had to admit that the soft toy would cheer up poor Ryunosuke's cell. The teen's mood had improved with proper counselling and visits from his mother and childhood friend. Ryunosuke had gone back on his meds under careful watch by his doctor. Even Erik had to grudgingly admit that the little brat was a fighter at heart. Reaching for his wallet, the blond did not notice the looks exchanged between the lanky shop assistant and Kagome.

"Why the bug?" the shop assistant discarded his disguise the minute Erik left the shop. "Easy, Kero-kun," 'Kagome' whispered. "We still need to keep a watch on Ryunosuke. I believe the little brat may assist DDS on future cases."

A few days later, the bugged teddy bear rested on a chair in Ryunosuke's room as Meiling and Ryunosuke reminisced over old photos in a scrapbook.

* * *

"I can't tell you how I look forward to becoming your mother…" Judith chattered as she pottered about the Amakusa house. Ryu nodded and continued reading his novel. He was intent on ignoring the upcoming wedding as far as possible. His father was overseeing the delivery of several Greek-styled statutes Judith had taken a fancy to at the last charity art sale. "What do you think if we re-do your study in Grecian theme? We could re-paint Ryu's bedroom lilac…"

"I like my room the way it is, thank you," Ryu cut in. He didn't fancy waking up to a replica of Michelangelo's David at his bedside. David was shunted off to the study. A very garish modern painting was directed to the master bedroom.

"I was thinking of changing one of the guestrooms to a nursery for our children…" Judith murmured as she touched her fiancé on the arm. "It wouldn't be much to Ryu since he's almost grownup…" _Great, half-siblings…_ Ryu cringed at the notion. He put down his book and got up, ready to call Kyu and get away from the insanity that now possessed his home life. It was then that he noticed it. A family portrait that dwarfed the meagre few Ryu had of himself with his parents.

"That's my family photo, Cousin Joshua sent it as an early wedding gift," Judith explained. The members of the photo were posed stiffly. "That's me at eight." Judith pointed at a girl with pigtails carrying a large teddy bear. "That's Cousin Josh." There was an older boy standing behind her. "Cousins Delilah and Rosa…" Two girls in lacy frocks and immaculately curled ringlets hugging identical teddy bears. "Aunts Pearl, Marguerite and Grandma Noelle." A coquettish woman with too-much makeup, a sombre-looking woman and a dour-looking older female. "Uncle Jonah…" Her finger rested on a tall man whose white collar marked him out as a minister.

Ryu murmured some excuse and left. It was later on the bus that he realized that Judith had not mentioned her parents or siblings.

"I was hoping he would warm up to me," Judith bit her lip. Her fiancé held her gently. "There, there… Ryu will warm up to you. Then we will have the family you always wanted…" Ryu's father swore to give his son a severe talking-to when he returned.

* * *

"_Papa?" the five-year-old hugged her teddy bear and prodded the limp figure sprawled on the couch. "Papa? Why doesn't Mama get up?" Or her elder sister for that matter. Her shoulder hurt. Blood stained her white nightgown red. It had taken all the strength she could muster to make it down to the hall. "Franz! Open up!" Uncle Jon was pounding at the heavy oaken door. "Julianna? Madeline?" he called out the names of the various members of the family. Finally, he gave up and peered in at the French windows. _

"_Oh God…" His minister's attire was in disarray from beating through Mama's rose bushes. The girl noted dully as she sat down in a pool of her father's blood. The minister smashed in the window with his cane, enough to reach in and unlatch it. _

"_Don't look," he hugged the child, holding her head against his chest, so that she did not have to continue staring at the mangled remains of her father's head. _

* * *

It was a bright autumn morning when the big day came. The asters in the garden were starting to bloom. The normally-quiet Amakusa residence was abuzz with activity.

"Ryu!" Kyu waved cheerfully at the morose-looking teen. Ryu smiled weakly. His classmates were all there to attend his father's wedding. His stepmother's family and friends have flown in from various cities in America and Europe. They now gathered in a small knot, congratulating the bride-to-be. His father stood awkwardly some distance away, an outsider. Hopefully, once the ceremony was over…

"Wow, look at how grand this is!" Kyu gawked openly at the great marquee they had set up for the wedding. "Wow, Megu, you look so sexy in that dress!" Megumi was wearing a lovely sheath dress which flattered her blossoming figure immensely. "Is that padding?" Kyu stared closely at her bosom where the neckline dipped in a delicate V. SLAP! Ryu stifled the urge to chuckle. Megu was growing more buxom and Kyu was starting to notice that.

"Man, too tight…" Kinta undid his tie and stuffed it into a pocket. Kazuma looked disapprovingly at him. A tux was not Kinta's style. "Kinta, quit stuffing your face. And go easy on the champagne," Kazuma advised. "I don't think the guests would appreciate your singing." The younger boy was used to such social gatherings and was determined that Kinta not produce some faux pas on such an important day.

"Mmmf… mf..mff?" Kinta asked with his mouth full of smoked salmon appetizers. Kazuma rolled his eyes. Megu chased Kyu into a flowerbed.

"You must be Amakusa's son," a tall, pale-haired gentleman greeted Ryu in flawless Japanese and offered his hand. "Jonah Remington, uncle of the bride." Ryu recognized the man from the family portrait. He still wore the clerical collar at his throat.

"Ryu," Ryu shook Remington's hand. The man smiled warmly. His grip was firm. Ryu noticed an old scar at his wrist. Self-consciously, Jonah tugged on his sleeve.

"Ah, Lady Judith's stepson. Larry Lazarus, reporter for Style Gossip magazine," a bespectacled man of middle age thrust a pen almost into Ryu's face. "What are your feelings on your father marrying the Remington heiress?"

"Larry!" the minister admonished. "Sorry, force of habit, old sport!" the reporter thumped the minister so hard on the back that the latter winched. "No comments," Ryu pushed the offending pen aside.

"Uncle Jon," the bride greeted her uncle warmly with a hug. Judith Neeves wore an elegant white gown with a scalloped collar and princess sleeves. Seed pearls studded her skirt. "Judith, you look lovely," the minister stroked her dark hair in a fatherly gesture. "Come, you must prepare for the ceremony… your mother would have wanted you to have this…" the minister reached into his pocket and fished out a velvet-covered box.

"Oh, it is lovely!" Judith gazed in awe at the contents of the box. Ryu caught a glimpse of red rubies set in silver. The large rubies alone would have cost a king's ransom. Jonah lifted the ruby choker from its satin nest and fastened it around his niece's neck. Sighs of awe and envy sounded throughout the nearby guests. "This was passed from mother to daughter…" Jonah blew his nose into a large chequered handkerchief, overcame with emotion.

"Behold the Remington Rubies…" the reporter let out a low whistle of awe. Ryu's heart skipped a beat. The rubies were a bright red against the peachy cream of the bride's throat. It was the bright cherry red of spilled blood. He shook his head to clear it of the disturbing image.

A caterer gazed on the jewels with admiration. Those jewels would look lovely on Lady Risa's neck. Well, it was almost a pity…. He slipped away from the crowd and off to a corner where their client waited.

"Where have you been?" the client stubbed out a cigarette on a nearby garden statute. Kerberos did not bat an eyelid. He passed the envelope to their client. "Good luck with your endeavours. Adieu."

"Take those accursed gems off! Take them off this instant," a quavering voice shrilled in heavily-accented English. Bewildered guests looked about. The source of the commotion was a wrinkled crone tapping her walking cane imperiously on the gravel path. "No good ever came from them. So take them off, child!" She advanced on the stunned bride, waving her cane as if she would hit her.

Ryu watched as his father moved protectively before his bride. Jonah Remington restrained the old woman by the wrist firmly. "Joshua! Marguerite! Take her away, quick!" he shouted. A young man with similarly pale hair and a tired-looking nurse emerged from the crowd. Ryu heard the sound of a shutter and turned around. To his horror, it was the tabloid reporter.

"What a scoop, what a scoop," Larry grinned as he put aside his camera.

**Author's Notes: **

Yes, a new case involving Ryu on a very personal level. Someone definitely is going to screw up his dad's big day and possibly his family life as well.


	34. Loki's Return

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**33. Loki's Return **

Ryunosuke grinned at the photos of the wedding Kazuma sent him by camera phone. Classes E and A had also been invited, but were unable to attend. A missing persons case in Okinawa demanded the attention of both Yukihira and Shiramine. Gouda and Shishido have both flown to LA to investigate a fraud case there. Their principal had been called to Hong Kong on a potential smuggling case and both Erik and Meiling had gone with him. St Clair and Koda Kagome were busy in Aomori investigating the curious death of an apparently healthy old man. Since, he was not allowed to leave the centre, it was impossible for him to attend and he was grateful for the SMSes and MMSes Kazuma sent him to keep him updated.

"Judith Neeves… Remington Rubies…" The words sounded familiar to Ryunosuke. He keyed in some words into his search engine.

_Judith Neeves! Nee-sama's schoolmate from Carnegie Music Conservatory! _The realization dawned on him as the search engine threw up the results for the Remington Rubies and violin virtuoso Judith Neeves. There was a news photo of the then teenager playing before the Queen of England at a reception. In the background on the piano was a younger version of Risa. Risa often played the piano in support.

_Judith Neeves is the great-granddaughter of Wallace Remington III, a New England industrialist. The Remingtons have been known for their philanthropic efforts since the American Civil War when the family rose in prominence supplying weapons to the North. Remington Armaments have ceased operations after running into financial difficulties on the passing of Wallace … _Ryunosuke scanned through the article.

* * *

"Father, the Justice of the Peace is here…" Ryu rapped on the door of the master bedroom. Receiving no reply, he pushed open the door. Judith was weeping while his father hovered nearby with a box of paper tissues. The bridesmaids, Hikami Kyoko and Frances Marie Celesta, busied themselves arranging the bridal train and bouquet. They were both Judith's friends from her time at the music academy. Celesta was an aspiring soprano. Hikami, like Judith, was a violinist. Both had specially flown in for the wedding.

"Judith, come on, honey…" his father kissed her lightly on the forehead. "Don't, you're messing up her make-up," Hikami chided and reached for the powder. The groom excused himself from the room and went to speak with the Justice. "Come, let me touch up your mascara," Frances Marie coaxed and set about redoing the bride's makeup. "You will need some blush to go with those…" Her fingers lingered on the ruby collar. The bride nodded.

Ryu stalked off for the garden. His home was full of strangers and visitors he wanted little to do with. Voices from the bottom of the stairs drew his attention

"Larry, you promised not to!" the minister insisted.

"Freedom of speech, reverend," the reporter dropped his cigarette and crushed it into the Amakusa's carpeting. "This scoop will rock high society." The minister seized the reporter by front of his shirt.

"Mark my words, if you dare write any filth to harm her, I'll kill you, so help me God," Jonah Remington hissed before releasing the man at the sight of the teen standing at the top of the stairs. Both men stepped apart. Larry strutted out into the garden while the minister made some excuse about a headache and asked for an aspirin. Ryu showed him to the kitchen as was his duty as host.

* * *

"Kyu, look at this!" Megumi scolded and pointed at the dark wine stain on her white satin dress. "Sorry, Megu… I didn't mean to knock over that wine glass…" Kyu murmured apologetically. He rubbed the sore spot on his head where Megumi's dainty beaded handbag found its mark. They would need to wash the stain out as soon as possible. "Kyu, you know we can't legally drink yet…" Megumi remarked.

"Megu, why don't you take off that dress so I can help you wash…I promise not to peek." He followed her to the washroom.

"In your dreams, hentai…" Megu hitched up her skirt to sink-level and vigorously scrubbed at the stain. Kyu looked away at first, but could not resist taking a sideways peek at the creamy length of thigh Megumi inevitably exposed. Kyu swallowed. "Megu… are we, you know…"

"What, Kyu?" Megumi stopped scrubbing and looked at her classmate. "Megu, I think I might…" Kyu started.

"Really, Judith's groom is way too old for her… with a child of his own too. Did you see how old the boy is?" A strident voice declared in English.

"Well, she seems happy enough… I hear she intends to move here…"

"Can't blame her. That awful incident... He is well-off and respectable enough, I suppose…" Someone rapped on the door. "Anyone in there?" A voice asked, first in English, then in halting Japanese. "Wai…" Kyu slipped on the wet floor and barrelled into Megumi. The pair tumbled in a tangle of limbs into the bathtub. The door swung open.

"Goodness, young people these days," the older woman with the strident voice gave a disapproving cluck and fanned vigorously. "Come on, Madame Pearl…" her younger companion coaxed. Megumi recognized her as one of the pair of bridesmaids. Madame Pearl wore a high-collared, old-fashioned dress that seemed to be from a bygone era. Obviously, she disapproved of the compromising situation Kyu and Megumi were found in.

The teens awkwardly straightened their clothes and exited the scene. One of the guests was speaking to the other bridesmaid, the Japanese one. The pair appeared to be flirting openly in the study. "See you, Josh," the bridesmaid kissed him on the cheek before hurrying off with the bridal bouquet. In the conservatory, a nurse-like woman administered an injection to a sleepy-eyed old crone whom both teens recognized as the one responsible for the outburst earlier.

* * *

"Wow, look at that sexy gal!" Kinta's jaw dropped open at the Playboy fantasy sashaying up the path to the front porch where both Kinta and Kazuma had retreated with their drinks. Kazuma nodded. He had taken a bit of wine instead of juice on a dare by Kinta and was starting to feel the after-effects. "That's Salome, a model with lingerie line Kinky," Kazuma replied. "Hi, boys!" the young woman bent down so that they had a great view of her bosom bursting out from her skimpy silver dress. "Is Judith in?"

"Erm-uh…" Kinta was too stunned to speak. "The bride is preparing upstairs…" Kazuma replied, his hand reaching absently for his hanky as the threat of a severe nosebleed loomed.

"I'm so looking forward to seeing my cousin…" the woman drawled in heavily-accented Japanese.

* * *

Ryu left the minister in the kitchen with a plump-cheeked young woman the minister introduced as his niece, Rosa de Silva. Rosa was as plump as she was as a child in the family portrait. Aware the time for the solemnization was nearing, he hurried to the hall where he expected the rest of the wedding party to be assembled.

"You hate her, don't you, Ryu?" The hairs on the back of Ryu's neck stood at that voice. He turned around slowly. "Risa." She stood next to a statue of Venus de Milo in the corridor.

"Poor, poor Ryu… Papa's gonna get married to that woman and you will be left all alone… Do you wish for her to be gone?" Risa teased. She touched the crook of his elbow with her gloved fingers. Ryu realised that she must have mingled with the guests to enter the house. "There's poison, knives…" Ryu closed his eyes and tried to block out her voice. He did want his father to be happy but he was afraid of losing his father to a new family…

"Adieu, Ryu. I do hope you would consider my offer… you're smart enough…" The caressing fingers on his arm vanished. Ryu opened his eyes. He was alone in the dim corridor. He peered into the surrounding rooms and found nothing out of the ordinary. Hel had vanished. Ryu hurried to the hall where the groom and bridesmaids waited.

"She's taking too long…" the groom was flustered. "Maybe someone should go check…"

"I'll go," Ryu volunteered. "I'll go with you," Hikami joined him. The bedroom door was ajar. "Judith?" Ryu pushed it open gingerly. Hikami screamed. The bride was sprawled on the floor. One shoe and the bouquet lay next to her. Round her neck was a darkening bruise. The necklace was gone. Ryu instinctively reached for her wrist and felt a steady pulse. His father and the others came running. Kyu and Megumi were also with them.

"Judith!" the horrified groom ran forward and held his bride in his arms, trying to rouse her. With a soft moan, the bride's eyes fluttered open. She lifted a hand to her forehead. "My head…" She was groggy, as if drugged.

"Kyu, the bouquet…" Megumi grabbed Kyu's hand. "It's different from the one she was holding earlier in the garden. The pattern on the lace is different…" Ryu gingerly picked up the bouquet by the edge of the wrapper. A pin stuck out of the handle. No doubt it was poisoned with a mild sedative or narcotic. A small scrap of card drifted onto the floor.

_The Rosary of Dragon's Tears shall be returned to their rightful owner – Loki the Master Thief. _

**Author's Notes:**

Is it really the return of Loki? This case is inspired by the Gentleman Thief case from Kindaichi. What is the Rosary of Dragon's Tears?


	35. The Rosary of Dragon's Tears

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**34. The Rosary of Dragon's Tears**

"Do you wish to call the police?" the harried-looking wedding planner asked. "Perhaps we should postpone…" The groom had carried Judith over to a lounge chair. A warm cup of tea soon restored the colour to her face.

"No, I do not wish to postpone it…" Judith insisted. "My family, they took the trouble to fly here… I do not wish to trouble them. Call the police after the wedding…" she paused and looked at her concerned family and friends. "You need something to cover those bruises…" Aunt Pearl volunteered, offering her own pearl choker. "You could return it after the reception…" Megumi noticed an old scar around the woman's neck as she passed the pearls to her niece.

Kinta and Kazuma entered the room after walking around the house once to check for signs of entry. They had found none. The house was surrounded by flowerbeds and shrubs, none of which showed signs of disturbance. "Kinta and I were on the front porch. Between the time Judith was left alone by the bridesmaids and the time Ryu found her… about fifteen minutes, I think, no one else besides that model entered the house. We also questioned se Silva and Rev Remington. Both were in the kitchen for about fifteen minutes before Judith was found. She was still alright when the bridesmaids left her, about five minutes after Ryu did," Kazuma summarised. "The thief was someone in the house."

Class Q looked at each other and their suspects. The groom was speaking with the justice of the peace, requesting for a delay of half an hour to allow his bride to recover fully. Ryu's father was definitely in the clear without any motive or opportunity. The reverend and his niece Rosa de Silva were each other's alibis. The sexy Salome whose real name was Delilah Remington admitted speaking briefly to the bride. Both bridesmaids were unable to confirm when the poisoned bouquet had replaced the original one. They had prepared two bouquets for use during the ceremony and reception.

"The lilies are white in one bouquet and pink in the other… we wanted both with lilies at first but the first bouquet wilted in the car, so I got Josh to fetch some pink lilies from the florist," Hikami explained. "I was putting it together in the study with Josh's help." The bridesmaid chewed on a fingernail. "I placed it in the room…"

"It's better this way. Those rubies are a curse. No woman should wear those ever," a quavering voice insisted. Leaning heavily on the arm of her caregiver, Grandmother Neeves had entered the room.

"The Remington Rubies, better known as the Rosary of Dragon's Tears, has been cursed since that day. Many of its owners died violent deaths," the caretaker explained nervously. "I'm Marguerite de Silva…" She sat the grandmother in an arm chair and sat in the chair next to her with her hands folded in her lap demurely.

"Aunt Marguerite, I have heard of the legend… I don't believe in it…" Judith was visibly pale.

"Child, your mother died because of the curse!" the old woman snapped. Awkwardly, the others were starting to leave. Ryu assisted his father in helping Judith to her feet. The ceremony would proceed.

The lone figure separated from the others and lit a cigarette. Things had started faster than he expected. He needed to act sooner than he had planned. He dialled a number on his cell phone…

* * *

"Excuse me, Ma'am, could you tell me about the legend?" Kazuma asked. The sombre-looking woman nodded.

"The necklace was given as a wedding gift by a Romanian nobleman to his beautiful wife. This nobleman was known by his people as the Dragon for his fierce temper and prowess in war. He left for the Crusades soon after their wedding. He was gone eighteen years and his wife bore him a daughter. The lady remarried in his absence, believing him to be dead. He returned from the wars victorious, but when he discovered what his wife had done, his joy turned to rage and he sliced off her head. The lady's blood soaked into the gems. The Dragon wept bitterly for he loved his lady dearly. Taking his sword, he stabbed himself in the heart. Since that day, the necklace has been called the Rosary of Dragon's Tears. It was passed to the Dragon's daughter, who passed it to her daughter… finally ending up in the hands of the Remington family and Judith's mother."

* * *

"Hello?" Kerberos answered his phone. The wedding planner sat next to him on a bench in the garden. "You need to move the plan forward?" Kerberos frowned. This was unexpected. They weren't expecting a robbery presumably using the name of Lady Hel's father. "Allow me," the wedding planner held out her hand for the phone. Kerberos passed the phone to his mistress…

* * *

Delilah carefully walked to the bathroom and locked the door. The plan had worked exceptionally well. Everyone would blame Master Loki as the thief, the same Loki whose name was splashed over the news headlines ten years ago when she was just a student. She held up the necklace and fastened it around her neck. The rubies shone a bloody red. It would be a pain to sell it but her debts needed to be paid off…

She did not hear the door click open. The lock was faulty and the trespasser knew it.

A sharp pain shot through her neck. Instinctively she reached up to her neck and looked into the mirror. Blood was gushing out. She choked, gasped and died. The killer rammed the knife into her heart for good measure and exited, carefully shutting the door.

* * *

Ryu stood stoically beside his father as the bride was escorted by her uncle down the short path towards them. The bridesmaids followed, scattering flower petals. Kyu and Megumi sat near the front. Kazuma and Kinta had been forced to find a place at the back of the tent as they arrived late. Strains of _Ave Maria _filled the air. Touched, Megumi dabbed at her tears with her hanky. "Megu, what's wrong?" a puzzled Kyu asked.

"Nothing. It is just… the wedding… The music, the flowers, everything… It's so romantic…" she sniffled.

"So you like it?" Kyu asked seriously and took her hand in his. .

"It's like a fairytale wedding…" Megumi blinked.

"If you like it, I guess I'll have to start saving for ours…" Kyu blurted out and turned away. Megumi looked at him. "You say what?" Kyu turned red. She turned red and looked away awkwardly. Still, the pair continued holding hands throughout the ceremony.

* * *

Ryunosuke faxed some medical information to his mother and Kagome for that mysterious death case and emailed some historical data to Yukihira for her case. "_Hey, Wheels, the principal has solved the artefact smuggling case. The local police have arrested about six suspects involved_," Erik's image popped up on his PC. Ryunosuke smiled, glad his data on the cargo shipments and museum artefact catalogues had helped crack the smuggling case.

"Glad to be of help."

"We're catching the next flight back at 11," Erik glanced at his watch. "Which gives me a seven-hour shopping trip with Meiling…" Ryunosuke could hear Meiling's voice in the background urging Erik to hurry up. "Why do girls like shopping so much?" Erik made a face. "See ya, then. We'll get you souvenirs." The image vanished as Erik logged off. Ryunosuke's mobile rang.

"Hey, Ryunosuke, something happened…" Kazuma whispered into his phone. "Need your help, my laptop battery's flat…" In hushed whispers, he related what had happened.

"My father will never do such a thing!" Ryunosuke replied. "My father would never hurt a woman, child or the elderly…" His voice trembled. _His father was dead… Someone must be using his name to… could it be Nee-sama? But Hel will not do that…Hel adored their father as much, if not more than him. _Ryunosuke took a deep breath to steady his emotions. "I have some news for you and the others. Ryu's stepmother was a schoolmate of my sister's at the music academy. It may mean nothing at all, but…"

* * *

"Wow!" Kinta exclaimed and whacked Kazuma on the back. "Look at those!" A swarm of colourful butterflies emerged suddenly and soared above the wedding party. "Where did they come from?" Kazuma asked. A butterfly swarm of this size was not natural. Kinta pointed to the small box all the guests were given on taking their seats. It was open and empty. "Open yours, Kazu-kun."

"Wah! I think I squished mine," Kazuma leapt to his feet.

"How romantic…" Megumi gasped at the sight of her butterfly joining the others soaring into the autumn sky. "Er, I think mine may be dead…" Kyu prodded his butterfly. Finally, it flapped its wings and joined the last stragglers.

**Author's Notes:**

The first death in this case. What skeletons lurk in the Remington and Neeves household?

A butterfly wedding sounds kinda romantic, but I believe there will be a big problem actually getting it to work…


	36. Blood on Satin

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**35. Blood on Satin**

The narcotic's effect would not have been immediate. Ryu pondered this paradox once the ceremony was over. Judith might have seen the thief, and she would have known who else besides the bridesmaids and groom came to her room while she was preparing for the solemnization. Yet she had kept silent on that account. She was even reluctant to bring in the police, because… Ryu glanced towards his step-relations. Seeing his father alone, he approached him.

"Have you seen your mother, erm, I mean Judith?" his father asked Ryu. The momentary flash of annoyance in Ryu's face did not escape the notice of the older Amakusa. His father seemed worried. The bride was not in the crowd of guests at the buffet nearby. "I'll look for her," Ryu replied half-heartedly.

* * *

"You mean those new upper-class New England step family members of Ryu's are not as well off as we think?" Kinta whispered. Kazuma nodded. Kyu and Megumi were also there, perched on the folding chairs on the porch.

"Ryunosuke dug up all this dirt. Pearl Remington's finishing school for girls has been in the red for years. The board is looking into possible embezzlement of funds by Mrs Remington. Her estranged daughter, Delilah Remington, better known as Salome, is neck-deep in debt. Her brother, Joshua Remington has most of his share of the fortune sunk into a mining investment in Africa that is going bust. He also needs cash. Uncle Jonah Remington's under investigation for embezzling funds from his own ministry. Grandmother Neeves is in the early stages of dementia. Her daughter, Marguerite is in dire need of money for her mother's medical care as well as her daughter's. Rosa has a medical condition of some kind which Ryunosuke can't confirm yet. In addition, her late husband chalked up debts…" Kazuma pushed up his glasses. Ryunosuke was good at digging up such stuff. Kazuma supposed the Cyber Sleuth taught him well.

"So it may be possible that she knows who the thief is but is shielding him or her," Ryu cut in. "Have you seen Judith? My father is looking for her…"

"Maybe she's gone to say goodbye to her first flame," a voice added. The bridesmaid Hikami Kyoko giggled. She leaned out of one of the windows overlooking the porch. "Didn't you know? Judith was in love with Cousin Joshua, until he broke off with her last year. But inside, maybe he still likes her…" she pulled her head back indoors.

"Wasn't she flirting with him earlier?" Kyu asked Megumi. The girl nodded.

"Have you kids seen Judith?" a flustered Joshua Remington asked. "No," Ryu replied coldly. "We thought she might be with you." The young man wiped his face with his handkerchief and pulled up his black pants before trying the marquee.

"Guys, one more thing. There was a heist by Loki ten years ago in New York. Christies' lost an ancient Mayan artefact they were going to auction. Both the Neeves and Remingtons would be aware of this. It was before their fortunes took a turn for the worse. Any of them could use Loki's name in hopes of covering up their theft," Kazuma added. "Ryunosuke is convinced that his father will never injure a woman during a theft. I have run a check on all the known cases attributed to Loki and he has never hurt anyone in any of his thefts."

Kinta stood up, picked up a small pebble from the path and suddenly flung it into a nearby bush. A yelp of pain sounded and a irate reporter emerged from the bushes. Just as he had thought, the bridesmaid was not the only eavesdropper. "Hey, mister! That's poison ivy you're in!" Kinta added as an afterthought. With a rare grin, Ryu translated it into English for poor reporter. Not that he needed it. Larry Lazarus was starting to itch all over. He ran to his car, a dusty blue rental.

A piercing scream sounded from within the house. "Judith!" Ryu was rudely pushed aside as both the new husband and Joshua Remington rushed past him.

* * *

The first to reach the scene was the cousin. "She's dead!" the bride was hysterical as she ran out of the bathroom. Judith ran straight to Joshua Remington's outstretched arms. "There, there… everything will be alright…" Joshua coaxed as he held the sobbing bride. Blood stained her trailing skirts. Bloody footprints led from the bathroom. "Call an ambulance, hurry!" Joshua shouted first in English, then in halting Japanese. The groom and the others could only stand stunned at the sight of the horror within the bathroom. It was too late for an ambulance.

Blood pooled and congealed on the tiled floor. It painted the sink and countertop red. Amidst the dark red was the sparkling gemstone red of the Remington Rubies, glowing bloodied on the victim's slashed neck. A knife, which Ryu recognised as one of a set from his own kitchen, was rammed in her back to the hilt. Megumi let out a gasp of horror and shuddered. Kyu placed a reassuring arm around her. It was too much her Megumi, she had to turn away.

The victim's hysterical mother suddenly shoved past them. "Don't touch anything!" Ryu shouted out too late. The distraught mother took the corpse in her arms, screaming and shaking its shoulders. Pearl Remington then swooned in a dead faint on the bloodied floor.

Kinta retained the presence of mind to take out his mobile. This was a clear-cut murder. The groom urged Joshua to assist Judith to a nearby room to recover. The young man complied, taking the shocked bride away from the bloody scene. Ryu and his father then helped the awakening Pearl Remington to her feet. She refused further assistance and retreated stoically to the same room as Judith.

A camera flash went off and a commotion broke out. The minister and the reporter grappled with each other. The reverend won the struggle, wresting the camera from Larry and smashing it against the wall. "What are you doing? That's my scoop!" the reporter howled, he was still scratching himself from the poison ivy. "Get out of here at once," the minister's voice was stern. Muttering under his breath, the reporter stumbled downstairs.

The minister straightened his shirt, which had been torn in the scuffle. Kyu recalled that he had been wearing a jacket earlier during the ceremony. Then he noticed something unusual. The tear in the shirt exposed part of his back. "Mister, you are bleeding…" he said. The man only shrugged. "It's nothing…" He hastened to get away.

"Hold on," Kinta stopped him. "Excuse me… would you mind taking off your shirt?"

"I refuse," the minister was flustered. "How come you have blood on your back?" Kinta countered. The minister remained silent, prompting Megumi to repeat the question in English.

"Because Uncle Jonah whips himself in atonement for his sins," Rosa de Silva explained quietly. "I didn't mean to see, but I saw him doing it one night when I was cleaning up after the service…" With a resigned sigh, the minister removed his shirt. His back was marred with criss-crossing whip scars. Most were old. Some were still raw and recent.

Ryu bent over the body. He gingerly touched its wrist. There was no pulse as expected. The body was just starting to cool. He touched the face and jaw. Rigor has not yet set in. As an afterthought, he closed those staring eyes.

* * *

"I'm Inspector Kumoda and this is Constable Mori," the policeman introduced himself. "Who found the body?"

"The bride, Judith Neeves, now Judith Amakusa," Ryu replied on his stepmother's behalf. "She's resting upstairs. I'm Amakusa Ryu… her stepson." It had taken a lot of effort on his part to persuade all he guests to remain for questioning. Most of his father's business associates and friends have been cleared of suspicion for now. Only the bridesmaids, wedding planner and Judith's family were left, and that annoying reporter.

"So there was a theft earlier? Of this ruby necklace?" the inspector asked. Ryu nodded. He did not miss the look the inspector gave the constable. He and his classmates have decided not to use their DDS badges unless absolutely necessary. Moreover, they do not have a decent lead yet and all evidence was strongly against Judith.

"Do you suspect she's the killer?" the wedding planner blurted. She paused awkwardly at her own interruption. "I'm Shogo Sayako… wedding planner… Mrs Amakusa wouldn't hurt a fly… Excuse me…" she fled for the kitchen sink, retching into it. "The theft and now murder… makes me sick… Sorry," she apologized profusely. She looked so pale that Ryu extended a hand, helping her back to the living room and into an armchair. The policemen were still going to around taking statements and Ryu noticed that Constable Mori was on his way upstairs, no doubt to interview Judith.

**Author's Notes:**

The evidence looks bad. Everyone in Judith's family seems to be in need of money.


	37. Skeletons in the Closet

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**36. Skeletons in the Closet**

"We need a lawyer…" Mr Amakusa was understandably upset at the outcome. He paced franticly in the police station. Ryu nodded. The policemen's English was poor and Judith was not exactly fluent in Japanese. In the end, Judith and a few witnesses were ferried to the nearest police HQ where their statements were being taken with a proper interpreter present. Some of the witnesses were being questioned while others waited their turn.

"Psst, Ryu, think we could investigate this one as DDS graduates?" Kinta nudged Ryu. "No, not without permission from DDC…" Ryu reminded. He wanted no part of it. Kyu immediately picked up the phone and dialled a number. "What are you doing?" Ryu demanded. "Calling DDS to get that permission," Kyu said. "Your step-mother didn't do it. And we should help catch the real killer, right?"

"Guys, I don't know if she did it, but she's lying about the necklace. The thief was fairly rough tearing it off, enough to bruise the skin… and the narcotic used was a mild one," Ryu said. "She couldn't have killed the victim. The blood would not have flowed to the door if the victim was just killed at that time. The victim was probably killed before…" Kyu argued.

"Are you two arguing?" a voice interrupted. The boys halted in mid-sentence. Megumi handed a can of juice to Kyu and a can of coffee to Ryu before sitting down with her can of green tea. "There was blood everywhere on the sink and mirror. The fatal wound was to the front of the neck, possibly severing the carotid artery. The bleeding from the stab wound to the back was less," she closed her eyes, recalling the scene in detail.

"Judith would never kill someone. She doesn't have it in her…" Rosa de Silva emerged from the questioning room. The waiting Rev Remington greeted her with a terse nod. "Am I right, reverend?" she placed her hands on his arm in an intimate manner, which caused him to pull it back suddenly.

"That girl has bad blood in her. She's a curse to our family!" Pearl Remington, the bereft mother, spat. She had clearly recovered from the shock of finding her daughter dead. She was still wearing her bloodied clothes. Her son, Joshua, stood stoic at his mother's side.

"The only curse was when Wallace Remington kept the Rosary in his family instead of returning it to the Neeves when he and his wife, Maria, had no daughters to pass it on too…" Marguerite mused. "By tradition, the rubies are passed to a niece if there were no daughters… and we all know it was in the Neeves household for many generations, since the daughters of the Neeves were blessed with sons."

"Marguerite, I am right about you and your family…" Pearl growled and lunged at the other woman. "You wanted the rubies back all this while! You thieves!"

"It's your daughter who is a thief!" Marguerite snapped. "Lord knows it is unchristian to speak ill of the dead, but she was a slut and a thief!" A full-blown catfight broke out with the reverend and Joshua trying to pull both women apart. Rosa suddenly fainted, causing more confusion to break out.

* * *

"Hello, Ryu-kun!" Meiling greeted Ryunosuke with a warm hug. "Here's your souvenir!" She yanked out a garishly-coloured Beijing Olympics scarf. "Gee, thanks," Ryunosuke replied. He still had his laptop running. Meiling was not alone. With her was Kagome. Ryunosuke raised an eyebrow.

"Are you working on a case?" Kagome asked. Ryunosuke nodded slowly, his eyes wary. "Meiling, I'm thirsty. Could you please go buy some orange juice from the convenience store at the corner?"

"But it's so far away," Meiling complained. "Please, Mei… I want the Sunshine brand one," Ryunosuke pleaded. Meiling relented and skipped out of the room. Ryunosuke faced Kagome. "Nee-sama, are you here to kill me?" 'Kagome' let out a soft giggle.

"You are working on that case, aren't you?" she asked. The boy nodded. "Loki did not steal those rubies… Father is dead… Why did you bring his name into this?" he demanded.

"I did not use Father's name in this… if you are a good detective, you should've worked this out by now. One hint, little brother… our client is someone in Amakusa's family. Send my regards to Meiling, she's a cute little girl," Risa stepped out. Ryunosuke swept his collection of disks and papers off his table in frustration.

"Ryu-kun?" Meiling had returned. "What's up? Where's Kagome-nee?"

"She had something on, she left," Ryunosuke lied as he collapsed onto his bed. "Meiling, please go. I'm tired." _It's up to Class Q now…_

* * *

"Ryunosuke must have hacked into several archives and organization for this information," Kazuma gave a whistle as his printer churned out sheet after sheet of information on their suspects. Ryu nodded solemnly. "Rosa de Silva has a swollen blood vessel in the brain. She has been hospitalized at Tokyo General. Her family has been putting off surgery because they could not afford the medical fees," he explained. "My father has offered to help them with the fees. Surgery may be necessary but we don't have a surgeon who could carry it out. Currently both Rosa's mother and grandmother are at her bedside…"

"Joshua's business is in the red and he has long exhausted his share of the Remington fortune. Pearl Remington has also exhausted her share. According to the late William Remmongton's will, his fortune was equally divided between his son Harold and daughter Julia, and grandson, Joshua. No mention was made of Jonah, possibly because he went into the ministry about this time… No, he went into the ministry about six months after the will was made…" Megumi analysed the data. "Harold Remington died in a hunting accident ten years ago… That's odd…"

"What's odd?" Kyu sat up. "This," Megumi thrust a sheet of paper at Kyu. "Blood types?"

"Pearl Remington's an AB. She couldn't have a son with an O type. No matter what blood type her husband was. I remember this article I read once…" Megumi frowned. She flipped through more pages.

"There are very striking family resemblances between the reverend and his nephew Joshua… it's almost as if they were father and son," Kyu pondered. "Nope, according to these certificates, both Jonah and Joshua were adopted into the Remington household, Jonah at age twelve and Joshua as an infant. Jonah's birth name was Alcott, taken after his mother," Megumi found what she wanted. "That would explain the discrepancy in the blood types. Jonah's mother was a servant at the Remington's summerhouse. Jonah's birth father was not listed."

"Could the reverend be paying off someone? According to these bank statements, starting about ten years ago, he has been making large payments to a certain bank account…" Kyu said. "Not only do Joshua and Jonah look alike. Look at this photo of the late William Remington and his two children…"

"His daughter must have taken after her mother, but Harold and Jonah could have been twins… Is illegitimacy enough reason for blackmail?" Ryu frowned. "New England may be conservative, but not to that extent…Could we trace who the account belonged to?"

"Larry Lazarus," Kazuma consulted his notes. "He was at the wedding and not only that. He was Jonah's classmate from high school before Jonah dropped out… And this wouldn't be the first murder in Judith's life…" He held out a page showing a news article. _Toddler only survivor in murder-suicide. _"It seems Judith's father suspected his wife was having an affair, shot both her and their children before turning the gun on himself. The marriage was on the rocks and Julia has alleged her husband assaulted her on many occasions. The Neeves' luxury fur business also went bust about that time. There were rumours of impeding divorce but the wife never filed."

"We need to question the reverend and our nosey reporter." _If the motive of the murder was money, why were the jewels left behind? Because they were too difficult to get rid of? Or was the motive something else? _

* * *

"What is it you want?" The reporter Larry Lazarus scrambled backwards. He did not understand what he was doing under a bridge in Tokyo in the dead of the night. His assailant only raised the steel pipe in his hand and brought it down hard. Satisfied, the assailant rolled the body into the waiting river where the tide would carry it out to sea.

* * *

Somewhere in a cheap hotel room, a man stripped himself to the waist and reached for the whip he kept inside his trunk. "I am a sinner," he addressed the smiling young woman in the photograph inside his wallet before raising the whip and bringing it down on his back as he had done on many nights.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **

Another death? What is the motive?

Clarification on the blood type issue.

AB parent + O (or A or B) parent = A or B or AB children (not O)

This was used in the Butterfly Murders Case in the Kindaichi series by the same mangaka.


	38. Blackmail

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**37. Blackmail**

"Ryu! Have you looked at the news?" Kyu's voice rang out over the phone. Ryu rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He had overslept, a rare occurrence, but it had been an unusual time. "Turn on the TV, Sakura TV."

"_A body was fished out of the river this morning by a patrol boat…" _The newscaster narrated in her crisp tone. A photograph flashed on the screen. Ryu dropped the phone. The face was pale, a little bloated but still enough for him to recognize the reporter. There was an angry wound to the temple. "I will meet you soon," he hung up.

"Ryu? Are you up? There's breakfast on the table," his father greeted him. "I'm going to the station to see Judith…" he put on his coat and hurried out. Ryu nodded and grabbed a slice of bread before pouring himself a cup of lukewarm coffee.

* * *

It was later that Kyu and Ryu ran into each other in the washroom of the DDS old building.

""Ryu, we need to talk. You have been acting strange. Yesterday we could have gotten DDS backup on the case…" Kyu turned off the tap as he finished washing his hands.

"Well, you guys got Ryunosuke digging up on the Remingtons…" Ryu wiped his hands with a paper towel. DDC was involved now, whether he liked it or not.

"Ryu, is there something you are afraid of? You are acting like the time when you got framed by Hades… We are here to help, and DDS too. We'll find out the truth…"

"That's what I am afraid of! My father is involved in this case, because of Judith. What if Judith turns out to be working for Pluto…" Ryu admitted. "What if she is the murderer?"

"Ryu, Kazuma has already run the calculations through his programme and DDS science department has also verified that there's no way she could have committed the crime then. She had an alibi, getting married to your father before a crowd of fifty guests," Kyu replied.

"Kyu, I'm acting childish, but I'm afraid of losing him again… Even if there wasn't a murder and all that…" Ryu's voice trailed off. Kyu nodded. "I understand. I got a bit jealous when I thought my mother was starting to like the postman who used to deliver letters when I was in kindergarten. I thought I didn't have a father back then. I didn't like the idea of sharing mom with someone else. But now… my father has been dead for a while. If mom finds someone she loves, I'm cool about it… but I guess it's unlikely, since mom still misses my father, even now."

"I'm being selfish…" Ryu admitted. The pair were interrupted by insistent pounding on the door. "Guys, what's taking you so long?" Kinta demanded. "We have some evidence from that drowned body we should be looking at. And Ryunosuke found something which could be a motive for blackmail."

* * *

"Joshua Remington's the reverend's son? Was he even married?" Megumi asked. "No details on the mother yet," Kazuma admitted. Ryunosuke had pleaded illness and had backed out of the investigation. "Larry Lazarus was killed last night. They found this in the dead man's hand…" Maki-sensei placed the bagged evidence on the table. It was a man's cuff link with the initials J.R. on them. "This is the necklace from the first crime scene…" the ruby necklace known as the Rosary of Dragon Tears joined the cufflink.

"Er, isn't that valuable stuff? Shouldn't we be more careful with it?" Kinta asked. Their teacher shook his head. "During the analysis on the bloodstains, the lab tech discovered that the gems are fakes. The worth of this necklace is not more than…"

"FAKE?" Class Q gaped. It had looked so valuable. "But it was the same necklace the bride was wearing…" Megumi mentally compared her memory with the item on the table. "Why would they try to pass off a fake as their family heirloom? Where's the real necklace?" When had the switch taken place?

"Maki-sensei, is it possible for the lab to know when it was made?" Kyu asked. "Or who made it?"

"There is some discoloration from oxidative processes at the hinges. This was not made recently. According to comparisons by the experts, it is an almost flawless replica of a piece of medieval jewellery from Eastern European," Maki read out the report. "It would be a master craftsman who made this…"

"Megu, I've here some old pictures of Julia Neeves nee Remington, her mother and grandmother wearing the Remington Rubies at social events," Kazuma keyed a command on his computer. "I have worked on refining the pictures. Could you see if it is the same necklace?" Megumi squinted. "This one appears to be the same necklace as the one on the table… This one, I can't tell, too far… this one is too blurred…"

"So the jewels the late Julia Neeves wore were false. Could she or her husband have sold off the real gems? The Neeves were facing financial difficulties…" Ryu suggested.

"The police have brought in Jonah Remington for questioning," Nanami entered the room. "Would you like to ask him any questions?" He looked at Ryu. Being the most fluent in English, he was the natural choice. Ryu nodded. Judith could not have killed the reporter since she was in detention then. It was a hell of a poor way to spend your big day. Kyu requested permission to accompany Ryu. He was worried about his friend.

* * *

The minister was pallid when Ryu saw him. Ryu flipped through the statement the police had already collected. "You're staying in Riverside Inn, near where Mr Lazarus was killed… Also, we have evidence to suggest possible blackmail. Possibly over an illegitimate child…"

"Young man, I was in my hotel room the entire night."

"Was the victim blackmailing you?" Ryu asked point-blank. The minister sucked in a breath and nodded slowly. "Please keep this from her… She knows nothing about it. I was married once, to her mother, Julia. We fell in love, eloped and married in Canada and started our family. We parted when my father caught up with us and told me the truth about us…" the man buried his face in his hands. "I can never make it up to her…"

"Wait, you mean you unknowingly married your sister? And Joshua is…" Ryu's calm demeanour wavered. "What's up, Ryu?" Kyu asked. He had trouble keeping up with the conversation with his poor grasp of the language. The scandal of incest and blackmail was a huge motive for murder.

"Who else knew?" Ryu asked. "My parents, my half-brother Harold, maybe Pearl… The official word is that Joshua is the son of a distant cousin… After Joshua was born, Julia remarried…"

* * *

"Is Joshua in there?" two voices greeted him simultaneously when Ryu emerged from the station. It was the bridesmaids, Frances and Kyoko. "He's worried about Judith. It's a pity he didn't patch things up with her…" Frances chirped. "I'm sure he needs a listening ear now…" The expression on her face told Ryu listening was only one of the things she had in mind.

"I agree. It'll be a real bore stuck with that old antique collector. Can you imagine that? Joshua has so much more charm…" Kyoko added. Ryu's eyebrow twitched. "La tragedie! True love separated by cruel circumstance!" Frances struck a melodramatic note. "If Joshua weren't chalking up debts, she'd choose him any day…"

"Sorry to disappoint you, ladies. Judith and I are officially finished. And I have no intention of getting married that soon," Joshua Remington stepped out of a taxi in time to hear the banter between the pair. He ignored Ryu. "Perhaps I may consider a seminary if my business does go bust." Howls of disbelief broke out from the bridesmaids. With a smile, Joshua strolled briskly into the station. He was accompanied by a smartly-dressed man Ryu guessed must be a lawyer.

* * *

"He got a lawyer for his cousin but not his father?" Kinta wolfed down a sandwich. "And this cousin he had a huge crush on is actually his sister? Man, this sounds worse than that long-running soap opera _Sopranos_. And we are nowhere near to solving the case…"

"Hospital staff confirmed that both Neeves were in the hospital. Rosa's condition took a turn for the worse and they had to operate to stabilise her. Both women were spent the night in the hospital's chapel praying. Rosa was only brought out about noon," Megumi added. "If the cuff link belonged to the killer, we have Joshua and Jonah Remington. In the first murder, most of the guests were present during the ceremony, which was probably when the first victim was killed. Jonah was involved in the ceremony. I don't recall seeing Joshua during the ceremony itself. Afterwards, he was wearing a dark-coloured jacket… which was different from the one he wore before the ceremony!" Realization hit Megumi.

"Ryu, do you mind if we search your place again? The police may have missed something out in the first round," Kinta asked. "Kazuma here could use his new simulation software to help out." Kazuma nodded eagerly.

"Be my guest. My father would be out tonight…" Ryu replied. Kyu thought he heard a slight hesitation in his voice. Kyu's phone rang. He answered it. It was Nanami. Kyu turned to face his classmates. "They found Pearl Remington poisoned in her hotel room. It appears like suicide but there are some odd points about it…"

**Author's Notes: **

Incest, blackmail and suicide?


	39. Poison and Blood

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**38. Poison and Blood**

"Our live-in housekeeper left to care for her sick mother in Philippines," Ryu explained. "We got a part-time maid to come in twice a week, but because of the wedding, my father asked her to come in another time last week to tidy up before the big day. She's not expected till next week." Together with Ryu, Kinta and Kazuma scouted about the rooms, looking for something the police may have missed. Kyu and Megumi had responded to Nanami's phone call and were at the other crime scene.

Ryu's bedroom was neat as a pin. His father's showed some signs of neglect, with dirty clothes left lying on chairs and tables. Kinta opened the closet in the senior Amakusa's room. Something caught his eye. "Hey, Ryu, does your father wear coats from Armani?"

"No," Ryu replied. "He gets his coats from Mikiya's…"

"Thought so," Kinta pulled out a coat from the closet. It was of similar colour and type as the others. "The fabric texture is different. And the sleeves are too long for your father…" Kinta pointed out the folded-up sleeves. The ends have been folded inside to give an illusion of the sleeves being shorter than they actually were. Carefully, he unfolded the ends of the sleeves. A brownish stain marked one of the cuffs.

"Blood," Kinta deduced. Kazuma was already giving the dusting treatment to the closet door in hopes of recovering prints. The prints would be compared to possible suspects' later.

"Someone was missing a coat after the wedding. Could this belong to him?" Kinta asked. "Not likely, Jonah Remington is not into branded clothes," Ryu frowned as he tried to summon up a mental image of their suspect. "His shoes were very well-worn. His shirt cuffs showed signs of patching…"

"Maybe he got the coat especially for the wedding?" Kazuma suggested. "The forensics department should be able to find trace evidence on this…" Ryu carefully bagged the coat to save any evidence which may still linger on it.

* * *

"Door locked and latched, poisoned wine in glass on table," Nanami quickly briefed his students. "Lab is still working on the poison used. Possible suicide note on the table." The body had been moved by the well-meaning hotel manager, who had attempted in vain to revive the victim. The manager had received a call asking for help. The caller was a woman and the line went dead soon after. The manager had hurried upstairs with a bellboy and failing to get a response and finding the door latched, broke down the door to find Pearl Remington on the floor unconscious with vomit near her mouth. The victim was still clinging to life than and the manager had called an ambulance. Suspecting suicide by poison, the manager had tried to force poison out by trying to induce vomiting. The woman died before she reached the hospital.

"St Yves Rose 1960," Megumi read the label of the wine bottle on the night stand. "Was this bottle the victim's?" Megumi asked the manager, who was still waiting to be interviewed.

"Yes. Mrs Remington ordered a bottle of expensive wine," the manager replied. "We thought it was odd, given her daughter's death to splurge, but if she had intended to commit suicide… Sad, really… Salome was a real beauty. The male staff were especially thrilled when she came to visit her mother here…" He let his voice trail off. Megumi returned her attention to the suicide note. It was written neatly on letter paper which did not belong to the hotel. Megumi noted that there was no stationery. "The note is handwritten. We need to have samples of her handwriting for comparison."

Kyu studied the mini bar. There was a room service menu open on the counter. Cups and wineglasses sat neatly on the bar-top. Of the three glasses on the counter, only one was placed upright. There was still a small pool of clear liquid, possibly water, in it. "There's another wine glass here, which may have been recently washed."

He peered into the open closet and saw several shopping bags. "Megu, would someone who intend to commit suicide go on a shopping spree just before? My mom went shopping on the day of the wedding and she didn't have these Autumn Sale bags from Taka's." Megumi and Nanami joined him. Mehumi gave a gasp. "Kyu, you're right. Those shopping bags have the Autumn Sale logo on them. The sale opened yesterday. She could not have gone shopping before the wedding."

Megumi gingerly peered into the bags to check the contents. "Prada shoes, two pairs, a handbag from the same store. Cartier jewellery… how did she get the money to buy all this stuff if she is in as much debt as Kazuma and Ryunosuke say?"

"It seems that the modelling agency put together a collection for her mother. And to think she took a course of serious retail therapy…" Nanami said. Megumi went over to the night stand and pulled open the drawer. "Would someone who intends to commit suicide make a booking for a deluxe spa treatment tomorrow?" She pointed into the drawer where a spa receipt sat.

_The wine could have been poisoned beforehand, or there could have been someone else in the room to poison… but the door was not only locked, but latched with a chain… Could the poison be a slow-acting one, allowing the victim to feel well enough to see off her poisoner?_

* * *

Erik was under punishment again. His latest shenanigan involved trying to bring a live chicken through customs. The chicken was a gift from Meiling's Hong Kong relations and Erik thought it would be sweet if Meiling could bring a live chicken back to Tokyo. He packed the hapless bird into Nanami's hand-carry. The hapless bird pooped over Nanami's stuff before suffocating. Nanami discovered the corpse en route to the Hong Kong International Airport. The taxi driver dumped the trio out in the middle of the busiest highway in the city amidst fears of avian flu. This time, he was to help Maki-sensei with the DDS lab stocktaking.

"I'm done with the store, Onikobe-sensei!" Erik called out. "What's up with that Blood Ruby case?"

"You're referring to the Remington Rubies case Class Q's currently working on?" Onikobe asked. Erik nodded.

"We are a bit puzzled by the type of poison here. The chemical profile suggests a plant-based alkaloid of some sort…" the scientist looked up from the results. "But we can't pin down the possible source of the poison…Darn, the computer is a bit faulty today." He clicked helplessly on the mouse as the blue screen of doom emerged.

"Maybe I can help?" the blond offered. "It will take some time for me to debug the PC but I have an acquaintance who is an expert in poisons. Maybe she'll be able to identify the poison based on the symptoms and the chemical make-up. I could drop her a call."

* * *

Ryunosuke checked his watch. It was time for his pills. He carefully counted out the dosage for the pills he needed. He poured himself a glass of water from the pitcher on his table and swallowed them slowly. He settled himself in front of his laptop to check his email. His contacts at the NYPD still kept him informed of the cases he had helped them with and he was willing to offer assistance if needed. Ten minutes later, the nausea started, followed by tingling sensations in his limbs.

_So it this it, Nee-sama? _Ryunosuke fought to control his increasingly numb fingers on the keyboard. He was too far gone to call for help. _At least…_ Conscious thought left him as he toppled off his chair. The glassy-eyed teddy bead on his bed watched on as Ryunosuke's body convulsed before growing limp.

* * *

"Good night, little brother…" Hel purred and stroked the cat in her lap. She switched off the camera. Fenrir sat with arms folded. "You owe me one, sis. Lady Ravenhall is going to be pissed you used her potion to contaminate medicine. That woman is very particular on that. I may have to watch out for her for a while. The other bottles have a non-lethal dose. I don't expect anyone else to die based on the toxicity charts Miss Poison gave us. Some may be ill though." Fenrir's tone was matter-of-fact. "Right?" He turned to the third person in the room.

"That was unnecessary, my lady," Kerberos had finally found his voice. He had been there by chance to report on their client. He hadn't expected to find the siblings spying on Jormungand. "We could have hypnotized him…"

"And reduce him to a drooling idiot? No, that is not a fitting end for one like him…" Hel shrugged. "My Lady, is it true that you are expecting?" Kerberos asked cautiously.

"Yes, and you're going to be a father soon, give or take a couple of months…" she patted her slightly swollen belly.

**Author's Notes:**

About the chicken… hehehe… it's based on a family rumour. One elderly relation supposedly brought a live chicken (a gift from the folks back home) on an international flight (pre-Sept 11 and avian flu of course) in her hand luggage. The bird made it through customs and survived the flight, but choked to death on her sticky rice.

Ryunosuke has fallen victim to Lady Hel.


	40. Larkspur and Monkshood

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**39. Larkspur and Mookshood**

"Hello? Is Lady Ravenhall in?" Erik was not too surprised when a sleepy-voiced male answered. It was after all, two in the morning in London. The butler politely asked him to wait while he checked if the lady was awake.

"Erik Thorsen the Berseker? This better be good…" the crisp, cut-glass British voice admonished. Lady Ravenhall was awake and possibly annoyed at being disturbed during one of her experiments. Erik described the chemical composition and symptoms of the poison.

"Monkshead or a similar member of the aconite family," Lady Ravenhall replied. The street-lights outside her townhouse lit up the bottles of assorted poisonous plant and animal extracts in the glass cabinet she was opening. She hung up and replaced the receiver on the phone on the silver tray her butler held. She returned her attention to the nightshade extract.

* * *

_Detention Centre. _

"I hope he likes blue…" St Clair nervously held a turtle-necked sweater. "He'll like anything you give him," Kagome reassured her. They had successfully completed their investigations in Aomori and were back in Tokyo. "It is late, do you suppose we might wake him up…" St Clair fretted. "Oh my God!" She entered the room and saw the motionless figure on the floor. Kagome froze and dropped the doll she was holding. St Clair screamed. The guards came running.

* * *

Morning found Class Q and Class E gathered in a DDS classroom for a briefing by the principal. Class Q were eager to find out if their results from the lab were ready, but their eagerness was quickly subdued when they saw an ashen Kagome sitting in the classroom. Her hands held a rosary in addition to her ever-present doll. Meiling was sobbing into Erik's shoulder. The blond was stoic.

"Ryunosuke's dead," Erik's words confirmed Class Q's worst fears.

"Did he die from his illness?" Ryu asked.

"No, he was poisoned. Those Pluto scum filled a few capsules with poison made from larkspur seeds and mixed them with his meds. Maki-sensei just got the report from toxicology. The hospitals are re-looking at some of their patient side-effect complaints from the drug," Erik replied. Nanami plodded into the room.

"Class, Kokuo Ryunosuke's funeral will be held on Saturday, once the authorities release his body… The poison used is identified as larkspur seed concentrate. There may be similar mild poisonings in other patients," Nanami reported. "St Clair has handed in her resignation letter this morning." He paused for a moment. Meiling let out a heart-wrenching sob. Erik placed an arm around her shoulder. Class E slowly filed out of the classroom.

"Have you checked your emails today?" Kagome asked suddenly. Kazuma instinctively flipped open his mobile and went to his email box. "Did you receive it too?" he looked up. Kagome nodded. The email contained a series of symbols sent out by Ryunosuke. "If this is a code, I'll break it."

"It isn't a code. The language he used is Norwegian," Erik peered over Kazuma's shoulder and read the message, translating it. "_The beach of Vahalla is paved with the dead, Jormugand._ In Norse myth, Vahalla is where the souls of dead Viking warriors go to their everlasting party in death. The beach of the dead refers to Ragnarok, the Twilight of the Gods."

"What about the lab report from Pearl Remington's wine?" Kyu asked, trying to break the tension. "Monkshead. It was found only in her glass. As for the bloodied coat in Mr Amakusa's closet, DNA is a match to Delilah Remington. We also found a blond-ish hair on the coat. The lab is running a DNA test on the hair as we speak. Fingerprints belonging to both Amakusas, their cleaner and Jonah Remington were found on the closet door. One other thing… Jonah Remington confessed to the murders of Delilah and Larry… However, Pearl Remington's suicide note claims she was responsible for the deaths…"

"How's the handwriting analysis?" Megumi asked. "The reverend may be trying to protect someone…"

"The handwriting is a bit puzzling. We got samples from her school but it seems that we have several different handwriting styles, one of which is a match to our suicide note. One problem though. We learnt from her secretary that the victim rarely writes because she is dyslexic. She has her secretary take memos for everything. She can't read or spell words easily. Her handwritten correspondences are possibly written by someone else," Nanami reported.

"Could we get samples from everyone in the case?" Ryu asked. "Her suicide note is too well-written…"

"The cuff link could belong to Jonah or Joshua Remington… but Jonah was in custody when Pearl Remington was killed," Megumi pointed out.

"About the other wine glass, no fingerprints were found on it. Which is unusual," Nanami added. Kyu stood up suddenly. "I know who the killer is. The DNA results will probably prove it."

* * *

With the exception of Rosa de Silva who has yet to be discharged from hospital, the remaining Remingtons and Neeves were gathered at the Amakusa residence. "Why are we here? I have a business to run," Joshua complained. Judith Amakusa placed a hand on her cousin's elbow to restrain him. Jonah looked a little distracted. Grandma Neeves had a faraway look in her eyes. Marguerite hovered nervously behind her.

"Please, I am sure that there is a good reason for this…" Mr Amakusa said.

"My mother and sister are both dead and I need to see to their funerals," Joshua complained. He turned to Ryu. "You said you have proven that Judith is not the killer. She had an alibi for the night of that reporter's death."

"Joshua, did you assist your mother in writing letters?" Ryu asked. "Well, yes…" Joshua hesitated. "But so did Delilah and Marguerite…"

"We matched the writing on Pearl Remington's suicide note to a letter you wrote to Judith," Ryu continued. "The handwriting is consistent… You wrote your mother's suicide note."

"In the note, she mentioned taking a cuff link from you to set you up as she hated you. She killed Delilah and Larry because they were blackmailing her. However, you were careless," Megumi said. "You were seen leaving the hotel about the time of Pearl Remington's death. You stayed at a different hotel. The relationship between you two is strained."

"Maybe like what she said in her suicide letter, she killed them to get at me… Maybe she committed suicide to frame me!" Joshua burst out.

"Joshua, it is over… we found your DNA on a single hair in the coat which had Delilah's blood on it," Ryu said slowly. "You killed Delilah during the ceremony and exchanged your bloodstained coat with the reverend afterwards. Jonah Remington then hid the coat where he thought no one would look… in a closet full of similar coats. We know that you and your uncle are in fact father and son. You knew your father was being blackmailed by Larry Lazarus. Maybe he decided to blackmail you too, so you killed him. Your foster mother was to be your scapegoat. We recovered a tape of the wedding ceremony which showed that you were not present during the exchange of vows."

"How could I be present? The woman I love is getting married! Wouldn't it be natural if I chose to absent myself from then?" Joshua declared. His father let out a gasp. Judith got to her feet and slapped her cousin.

"Josh, don't say such things now! It was you who cast me aside!" she sobbed. "Why?" She had no idea of the true nature of their relationship as half-siblings.

"I guess I have to admit it," Joshua shrugged and rubbed his cheek. "In the end, I still can't get over Judith, so I stayed away from the wedding ceremony. That was when I saw my dear 'sister' with those jewels who should rightfully belong to Judith. I killed her in a rage. It was messy. I got blood on my coat. Uncle Jon saw me and he had me wear his coat instead while he got rid of mine. The snooping reporter somehow saw us and tried to blackmail me…"

"Your foster mother?" Ryu asked.

"Mother? I hated that woman," Joshua laughed. "Throughout my childhood, she taunted me about being born out of wedlock. Then when her school started going bust thanks to her mismanagement, she asked me for money. I never got anything from the trust fund my foster father set up for me, because she took everything that was in it. I worked like a dog in her business but she never once treated me as a human being, except for when I gave her money…"

"The shopping spree was funded by you wasn't it?" Ryu said.

"The amount collected at the modelling agency was far below what she spent and the insurance had not been paid out." Joshua nodded. "I needed her to not to be wary of me. I lied and told her I found diamonds… I dropped the poison in her wine and left her after I placed the note on the table. She can barely read, you know. I told her it was a letter giving her half of my mining company. The rest you know."

"Joshua…" his father , Jonah Remington had his head buried in his hands. It was all over.

* * *

"Lady Hel, you wish to send sunflowers?" Kerberos asked. Hel nodded. "They suit him."

"Very well…" Kerberos made a note to drop by the florist. "Lady Risa, about your condition…"

"If you had to choose what will it be?" Risa patted her belly. "My life or the life of our child?"

"Well, you need medical treatment for your illness… you are still young, you could try again…" Kerberos did not manage to dodge the vase she flung at him. "Get out!" she screeched. Clutching his bleeding head, Kerberos cursed himself for underestimating the emotional outbursts expectant mothers are sometimes prone to.

**Author's Notes:**

This is taken from Wikipedia –

Larkspur is a member of the Delphinium family. Contains the alkaloid delsoline. Young plants and seeds are poisonous, causing nausea, muscle twitches, paralysis, often fatal.

Monkshood is highly toxic with symptoms appearing within 1 hour of consumption. The active toixin is aconitine. Symptoms include numbness, tingling sensations in the mouth, vomiting, followed by death by asphyxiation. Interestingly, it is used in Chinese and Indian traditional medicine after processing to reduce its toxicity.

I've been fascinated with poison since I was a kid so when I use poison as a plot device, I try to make sure the symptoms and mortality are accurate. Naturally, everything is a poison in the right doses. I sound a bit like that Count Cain here…


	41. Seance Shadows

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**40. Séance Shadows**

_Two weeks later…_

"To the end, both Joshua and Jonah never told the others the truth about Joshua and Judith being brother and sister. Jonah will be charged with concealing evidence, Joshua with the murders. The reast of family have flown back to the States, including Rosa on a special chartered flight. She's stabilised for now," Ryu remarked as he moved a box of his belongings out to the van.

"The one mystery we never solved was who swapped the rubies," Kinta stuck his head out of the van. He had volunteered to help Ryu move.

"Based on Kauzma's photos and Megumi's observations, they were replaced during the time of Judith's grandmother. The Remingtons then were in some financial trouble which they overcame, possibly with the sale of the rubies. Anyhow, those fake rubies are still sitting in an evidence box as Judith wants nothing to do with them, or this house," Ryu heaved another box into the van. "Somehow, I think Risa checkmated me on this, even if we did crack the case."

After much discussion, the newlyweds decided to relocate to the States, where they would get a chic city apartment. His father would move his business to the States where he had many contacts. Ryu declined to make the move. Their current house was far too large for Ryu to live in so they would rent it out if possible. Ryu would find himself an apartment near his school.

"Ryu, you could stay with me, you know," Kyu said. Ryu shook his head. "Thanks, but I don't want to impose on you or your mother."

"You know what the biggest irony is? Joshua's mining company did strike big. A ruby mine. It was in the news last night. And your stepmother is a main shareholder in the company. Joshua put about 51 percent of the shares in her name before he started his killing spree. The remainder are held by a German trading firm. Bifrost International. Not that it would make any difference to Joshua… Pearl Remington's girl's school closed down for lack of funds. Seems the dead woman has been embezzling most of it for her lifestyle even before Joshua gave her that bonus," Kinta said as he fastened down a study table in the van. "Get this. I hear Class E is holding a séance to contact Ryunosuke. Something odd happened at the funeral."

"What?" Both Kyu and Ryu asked. To their regret, both Kyu and Ryu were unable to attend the funeral due to the Remington case.

"Someone sent a bouquet of sunflowers. The card contained only the Pluto symbol," Kinta replied. "St Clair-sensei is taking his ashes back to the States, to scatter them in that same lake where he sunk the real Ken Bartley's body. Even now, the local police have been unable to recover it. It's one large lake. She has no intention of returning to DDS as an instructor…"

"What does Kagome hope to gain through a séance?" Ryu asked. Kinta shrugged. "According to Kazuma, it's just a ploy to annoy the heck out of her uncle for rejecting her. Could you imagine a séance revealing the killer? Queer thing is that she talked Erik into it. Meiling refused to participate, saying the dead should be left in peace."

"You mean Kagome and Erik in a darkened room, holding hands… Nanami-sensei will get very nervous now," Kyu joked. "All kinds of things can happen in the dark."

"Not only them. Kagome has some psychic buddies who will be helping out. Megu and Kazuma too. They would've invited you but since Ryu's moving out today…" Kinta shrugged. "Did I mention that one of Kagome's friends is a guy who looks just like that actor Jun?"

"What! You mean they are standing in a dark room holding hands as we speak? All kinds of things can happen!" Kyu dropped the box he was holding. Ryu groaned at the sound of his prized ship-in-a-bottle collection shattering.

* * *

Megumi and Kazuma waited for Kagome's remaining friends to arrive. The small cafe they were gathered in was done in a Victorian style. It was called _The Tea Party_ and located in a quiet corner of the bustling Shibuya area. A waiter offered them jasmine tea, which Megumi and Kazuma accepted. Class E's Erik declined tea, opting for a strong coffee. Kagome chatted with the manager, a young man who looked like a member of a popular boy band. Megumi noted that the nametag on the waiter's chest read Okami Jiro. The manager's read Matsushita Takeshi

"I don't believe in spirits or the like, but just in case…" Kazuma quietly switched on his pen mini-cam in his shirt pocket. It would be cool if he could record actual paranormal activity.

"Your friends must try the London cheesecake," the manager suggested to Kagome. "After the séance, Takeshi-kun. Is it a little quiet today?" Kagome asked.

"Ano, Tsukiko-san's orders. The café is closed specially for your séance," Takeshi explained and emerged from behind the counter. He pointed at the 'Booked for Event' sign on the door.

"Come on, Kagome-san. Let me show you some of the new items on our menu," Takeshi led Kagome back to the counter. "They should be back soon."

"Urd, Verdandi and Skuld," Erik remarked as he looked up at the tinkling sound of the doorbell. Megumi and Kazuma gazed in the same direction. Three young women entered the café. One was in her late twenties, with owlish glasses and hair tied back in schoolgirl braids. She wore a red cardigan over a shapeless black skirt and old-fashioned boots. The remaining two were younger, one in her early twenties while the other was only a teenager not much older than Erik.

The older woman had her hair done in Goldilocks ringlets and wore a dress which could be described as Gothic Lolita chic. Ribbons and lace trimmed her capped sleeves and skirt. An ornate crystal-laid pendant resting on her bosom completed the look. The teenager wore the school uniform of an elite girl's college. Her hair was left long and flowed almost to the back of her knees.

"The Kuroshima sisters, Hanako, Tsukiko and Yukiko," Kagome introduced the women. "The legendary three witches of Akihabara," Erik whispered and nudged Kazuma under the table.

"Want me to put a hex on you, Thorsen-kun?" Yukiko purred as she sat next to Erik. "No thanks, you look lovely in that uniform…" Erik tried flattery. Yukiko ignored him and extracted a small straw doll from her satchel.

"Now, now, Yuki. That's no way to treat our guests," the Goldilocks-haired woman said. "Takeshi, are the candles ready?"

"Yes, Tsukiko-san," the manager said. The waiter and Hanako started pulling the drapes and dimming the lights. "Wait! Are you sure this is safe? It doesn't feel right," Kagome suddenly burst out. Everyone froze. Erik kicked her under the table. "Koda, this séance was your idea, wasn't it?" he hissed.

"What's wrong?" Megumi asked. "Takeshi, is everyone here?" Kagome asked. The manager looked around and slapped his forehead. "I forgot! Ayumi is resting at the back. She felt a little faint after her shift so I had her rest in the kitchen."

A pale, mousy-looking girl emerged from the kitchen. She wore a paper mask at her chin, obviously suffering from a case of the flu. "Takeshi-san, is something wrong? I'll be going now…" The DDS students noted that the manager and café owner looked a little flustered by Kagome's sudden outburst. Hanako stood by the door as if ready to run out. Only Yukiko sipped at her tea nonchalantly. The waiter Jiro struggled with a stubborn blind which had gotten stuck.

"Where is Mayuri?" Kagome asked point-blank. Hanako let out an audible gasp. Yukiko dropped her teacup. Tsukiko folded her arms. "Sadao Mayuri is no longer working here, Koda-san."

"What happened to her?" Kagome placed her doll Alice on the tabletop. "Dunno. It was before my time. I started last week," Jiro shrugged when no one answered.

"She died suddenly …" Takeshi finally said. "She was staying late closing up the place when she got an attack… she didn't get to her inhaler in time… Hanako-san found her when she came to open the next morning."

"The case has been closed as accidental… we have already carried out rituals to set her spirit to rest," Yukiko chewed at her lower lip. "It will not affect the séance, unlike how it has affected our business. I never thought you'd notice her, Kagome. You haven't dropped by since you started at your detective school."

"I never really noticed her when she was around. It's only when we lose something that is familiar that we notice. It is not Mayuri's spirit I am afraid of, but what negative energy her death may have stirred," Kagome said. "A séance involves opening a channel between two worlds… there is danger in that…"

"Do you doubt our capabilities as spirit mediums?" Yukiko asked. "Since the Heian era, the Kuroshima clan has worked in this line… I assure you that there will be no danger and that you will contact the one you seek. Let us begin then."

Ayumi bid her farewells and hurried out post-haste. She had no desire to be part of the séance. Okami only paused to light the scented candles before slipping into the kitchen. The manager dragged about and arranged various chairs around a round table in the centre of the room. Kagome took her doll on her lap.

Yukiko lit a fire in a small brazier. The sweet cloying smell of incense filled the air. Hanako locked the door leading to the kitchen after the manager exited the room. "We will not be disturbed… Now, everyone, please hold hands in a circle. No matter what, do not let go during the séance," Yukiko instructed. Everyone nodded and taking their seats, reached out for the hands of the persons sitting next to them.

A storm was brewing. The room was quiet and dark, lit only by the guttering candles and stifling warm. Sweat poured down Megumi's face. Kazuma's and Erik's hands felt sweaty in hers. Erik held Kagome's gloved hand in his other hand. Next to Kagome was Hanako, followed by her sister Yukiko. Tsukiko, seated between Kazuma and Yukiko, completed the circle. The dancing candles cast eerie shadows in the room. Yukiko started reciting an incantation softly.

"We invite the spirit of Kokuo Ryunosuke to come forth…" she called out suddenly. Her shoulders shook violently and she slumped forward for a moment, eyes shut. Then her eyes snapped open. They were dark pools in a pale face. "Why have you called me back?" the voice that emerged from her mouth was not the authoritative one she had been using earlier, but a reedy voice that could have come from the depths of a grave. It was a child's voice, too soft to differentiate its gender.

The sickly sweet smell of incense was making Megumi dizzy. The room seemed to swim before her. Erik's hand was limp in hers, as was Kazuma's. She found it difficult to hold on to their hands. Kagome asked something of the spirit they had summoned but she could not make out the words. The spirit replied through Yukiko's mouth. "Beware… the wolf is near…" the voice murmured before lapsing into silence. There was strong wind and the candles went out, plunging them into darkness.

Megumi fancied that she was walking in a pine forest. Shy deer peered out from between the trees. A small figure was struggling up the path towards her. "Ryunosuke?" As she neared, she saw the figure was a girl her age. She wore a waitress' uniform and name tag read 'Sadao Mayuri'. The shade of the dead waitress passed her by. She next saw Ryunosuke, bending sorrowfully over a dead wolf. The animal was pierced by a single arrow. The boy held his gun in his hand.

There was a loud banging sound. Megumi's eyes fought to open. She had her forehead resting on the table. Using her elbows, she propped herself up. She saw that they were all still seated around the table, hands joined. Her companions were also, like her, awakening as if from a deep slumber. _Don't let go!_ The vague warning rang in her mind and she gripped onto the hands of Erik and Kazuma. Her younger classmate was slumped over the table, his cheek pressed against the lace cloth. Erik had slid completely off his stool and partially into Kagome's lap. Kagome was staring into space. The Kuroshima sisters also had their eyes open but unseeing, as if they had not yet emerged from their trance.

Megumi focused her attention on the banging. It came from the front door of the café. The curtain flapped upwards in a draft. Megumi saw two pale faces pressed against the glass. The waitress Ayumi and Takeshi the manager, her befuddled mind registered. Her limbs felt numb as if she had been drugged. Breaking glass announced that someone had smashed in the glass panel on the front door. Fresh air and light poured in as the door popped open with the aid of an axe.

The haze lifted. She saw it, as did everyone who had shaken off their stupor. An arrow was buried in Tsukiko's chest, pinning her to her chair like a specimen on a board. Megumi nudged Kazuma. The boy's eyes flickered open. He was still groggy enough not to register that he was holding the hand of a corpse.

"What a trip… what a trip…" Erik was starting to stir. He tried to raise himself off Kagome and tumbled to the floor. Yukiko was the first to react to her sister's death by releasing her hand and screaming like a banshee. Kagome glanced at Megumi over Erik's limp form. "Did you sense it?" she asked quietly.

**Author's Notes: **

The next case is up. Ryu is effectively separated from his only remaining family now. He's got the whole Pacific Ocean between him and his pa now.

Urd, Verdandi and Skuld are the Norns, figures from Norse and Germanic myth who control the lives and fates of all mortals.


	42. Dreamscapes

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**41. Dreamscapes**

"I'm fine. Just a bit woozy…" Kazuma shrugged. He was pale as he sat on a bench. They were at the hospital. After realizing that he was holding a corpse's hand, Kazuma had been sick over the floral tiles of the café. He was not the only one. Ayumi the waitress with the touch of flu had fainted after entering the stifling cafe. The manager opened all the windows to let in fresh air. Megumi vaguely recalled Jiro the waiter, with a towel round his mouth, hustling her out of the cafe.

Between them, Takeshi and Jiro helped the stricken from the café. On hindsight, Megumi realised that they were somehow drugged, either by the candles or the incense that was burned during the séance.

Kagome had retained enough of her senses to call DDS while the Takeshi called an ambulance. Kuroshima Tsukiko was pronounced dead on the spot. The rest of the unfortunate participants in the séance were whisked to the hospital for possibly carbon monoxide or gas poisoning. Nanami had arrived at the hospital shortly after. The remaining members of Class Q soon joined them after leaving Ryu's stuff at his new apartment. The remaining member of Class E could not be reached.

All those exposed to the unknown fumes in the café complained of dizziness, weakness in the limbs and nausea. Blood was drawn from the afflicted to test for possible poisons inhaled. Whatever had sickened them did not kill the café's owner Tsukiko.

"Death was almost instantaneous. The arrow that penetrated her heart was tipped with a rare and deadly South American plant poison," Nanami stated. "The room's windows and doors were latched and locked during the séance. The only keys were held by Kuroshima Hanako, who was participating in the séance."

"How did someone shoot an arrow at Tsukiko in that café when all the windows and doors were locked?" Kinta asked. "Was there some kinda ninja booby trap found?"

"Officers to the scene found nothing of that sort. According to the manager, Ayumi forgot her purse in the café, so she came back. This is also verified by the waiter. As the séance was in process, they decided to wait. Ayumi stayed in the kitchen while the men did their work. About this time, Takeshi realised the séance was taking too long, went to the front with Ayumi and took a peek," Nanami summarized from the witness statements taken.

"Class Q, Kuroshima Hanako and Yukiko have requested DDS help on this case," Koda Kagome peered in. "Right, uncle?" she batted her eyelashes at Nanami, who almost dropped the cup of coffee he was drinking.

"I believe almost all who participated in the séance made contact…" Kagome said. She hugged her doll to her bosom.

"Kagome. Séances are not scientific," Nanami chided. Kagome ignored him and sketched a plan of the café on a piece of paper. "This is the plan of the café. We were seating around this table. The café itself is small. It could only sit twenty at a time, with eight outside on the pavement."

"Right. During the séance, we were seated like so" Megumi nodded and took the pen from Kagome. She marked their places accordingly. "If the arrow were shot though a window, it will have to pass through one of us…if we hadn't wound up out cold on the table."

"Could not the arrow not be shot?" Kinta asked. Kazuma shook his head. "Possible, but unlikely. Everyone in the room was heavily drugged by the fumes. Also, I caught this with my pen-cam…" the youth opened his laptop. The screen showed the first few moments of the séance before the fumes overcame Kazuma. They heard the words uttered by Yukiko in her trance. After that, the screen only showed the tablecloth. There was a distinctive whoosh sound, followed by a thud recorded.

"It's like witchcraft." Megumi muttered. "Erik-san, you called the sisters the witches of Akihabara, but their café is in the Shibuya area…"

"Their main cafe was in Akihabara until that poisoning incident. Hanako's nutmeg cakes. Ten customers got admitted with numb lips after a tea party. It was ruled an accident but the mall refused to renew their lease," Erik explained. They had two stores. Hanako, the eldest, ran the Akihabara branch of Black Cat, which was very popular until the nutmeg cakes. Yukiko planned to open a café of her own after graduation. In their Akihabara heyday, Yukiko often gave tarot readings in the café.

"What did we observe during the séance?" Kagome asked insistently. "The drug may have muddled our minds a bit but shamans have been known to use incense and certain drugs to make contact with a higher realm." Nanami shook his head. "You were most likely hallucinating."

"Well, I got a vision of Ryunosuke," Kagome continued. "He was walking with two men. I can't see his face clearly. They were walking with their backs towards me. One was bearded and wearing a fedora hat. The other was younger, and wore a red bandanna around his neck. He hesitated, turned and waved to me before continuing… He is at peace." She intoned. Nanami's face was pale when she finished.

"Kagome, that sounds so clichéd!" Erik protested. "Where did you learn your predictions? Psychic Con 101? Mine was way weirder. I was at the shore back in Norway, standing in icy North Sea water to my knees. The little rat was there too, standing next to me. We were looking onto the rocks where my sister was sitting like the Little Mermaid. Way weird, like the time I took LSD in Amsterdam and got busted me after my uncle caught me dancing nude in the embassy garden. Then the rat thumps me so hard on the back, I'm drinking North Sea salt." Erik's tone was gruff, but he blinked constantly. He rubbed his eyes and turned away.

"I can't recall anything except a monster headache," Kazuma said.

"Well, I…" Megumi related her own experiences during the séance. "It's like a dream. Made no sense at all. Do you really believe Yukiko managed to contact Ryunosuke?"

"Half the time, so-called psychics are nothing more than good actors," Ryu stated. "They gave you some gibberish or general statements and our mind forms them into something that makes sense to us. Take the famous fortune-telling line: 'you will meet a tall dark stranger.' Yukiko could simply be working on our thoughts on Ryunosuke. She would know that he is a young teen, right?" he looked at Kagome.

"If she is pretending, she will not admit it. Besides, she is still in shock over her sister's death. She can't be questioned," Kagome agreed. "I did discuss Ryunosuke a bit in general with Takeshi. He could have talked to Yukiko. Megumi, how did the Mayuri in your dream look like?"

"Well, she looks a bit like Ayumi, I suppose it's the uniform. Her face was in shadow."

Nanami's phone rang. "The lab results on the blood samples are out," he announced and stepped out.

"I was lying," Kagome said softly to the rest once her uncle was out. "I wanted Uncle Kotaro to quit beating himself over Ryunosuke's death. I had a different vision. Ryunosuke was standing next to Yukiko and Mayuri..." She quickly clammed up when her uncle entered.

"The ash in the brazier was found to contain a plant residue which has hallucinogenic effects if the fumes are inhaled. Other effects include paralysis of the limbs and lethargy. The candles were harmless and only contain lavender scent. The plant poison on the arrow was determined to be _curare._ Definitely a fatal dose…"

"Wait! Could this be a random attack?" Kyu snatched up the sketch plan. "Look, the arrow could have been fired from any of these directions." Kyu traced a semi-circle facing the position of the victim. "Moreover, Megumi, Kazuma and Erik would have been in the line of fire. The seating was random, wasn't it?"

"Well, yes… Yukiko took her seat first. Her sisters sat beside her. Kazuma, Erik and I were knocked out by the fumes. We couldn't stay upright. But there is no guarantee who would be sitting where…" Megumi forced herself to recall the details of the séance. For once, she was having a headache trying to recall something recent.

Kyu waited and perched on his seatl. Kinta, Erik and Kazuma occupied one bench. Kagome, Ryu and Megumi sat on chairs with backs. Nanami stood. Kyu leaned backwards. "Watch out!" Ryu called out a warning, too late.

KRUMP! Kyu fell off his stool. He sit up and rubbed the back of his head with a moan. The upturned stool lay next to him. He had overbalanced. "Kyu, I got it. Erik, Kazuma and I were all sitting on stools. Mine was a bit shaky too," Megumi exclaimed.

"Which meant the killer wanted a clean shot at his or her target from the range which Kyu has indicated. Now, did he or she get the correct target?" Erik mused.

**Author's Notes:**

Is it a random killing or not? Who did it? Are the séance participants really in the clear?

Nutmeg is poisonous if improperly prepared. However, a pinch of nutmeg never fails to add a zing to cooking. Chewing on preserved nutmeg often gives me numb lips and tongue, but I like it anyway.

About hallucinogenic and opiate drugs, there are many which are used in shamanic rituals since ancient times to contact the other world. Even the incense used in Catholic Mass is shown to contain a substance which causes a sense of well-being.


	43. Parlour Tricks

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**42. Parlour Tricks**

The next day, Class Q and E received to investigate the scene of the crime. All those affected by the fumes in the séance have been discharged. Class Q's Kinta, Kyu and Megumi were on the scene with Class E's Meiling. Kagome and Ryu opted to conduct the interviews with the Kuroshima sisters at their apartment. Kazuma and Erik volunteered to look into the death of Sadao Mayuri and the poisoning at the Akihabara branch.

"What a pretty doll. Must be expensive…" Meiling admired a large Victorian doll on the side table. The sign nearby said 'Do not touch'. She reached for the skirts. "Hey, Mei, we're not here to play with dolls…" Kinta chided. Meiling nodded and stepped back. She carefully lifted the tablecloth of the round table used for the séance.

She got on her knees and felt the carpet underneath the table. "Feels weird…" Feeling a lump, she pressed it.

A gong sounded. Everyone leapt. "What the heck was that?" Kinta yelled. Meiling gingerly lifted the carpeting. "Stage magic." She pointed at a button under the carpet, which could be activated by stepping on it. She pressed the button again. The gong sounded once more.

"Good work, Mei," Kinta patted her on the back. "Who was sitting here?" he pointed at the nearest chair. "Yukiko-san," Megumi recalled. "Tsukiko was seated next to her, there…" she pointed at the empty space where an armchair once stood. The chair had been taken to the lab for evidence.

"So much for the spirit mumbo-jumbo. I think Nanami-sensei's right about them being frauds," Kinta declared. He yanked out the device and followed the wire to a small gong hidden under the spreading skirts of the Victorian doll.

"There was a sudden gust during the séance, but the windows were locked from inside." Megumi said. "The café staff went about closing the windows…"

"Were they?" Kyu pointed at a broken window latch, half hidden by a lace curtain. It looked like it was damaged recently. Outside the window was the narrow footpath that ran along one side of the café. He walked over to the window next to it. "No damage here. These windows are facing the victim. Could someone have opened them from the outside?" he slid open the window and leaned out.

"Watch out!" Kinta shouted a warning. The window slid and clamped down on Kyu's shoulders. "OW!" Kyu found himself breathing flowers and dirt face-down in the window-box.

"That window's slippery," a voice called out. It was the manager, Matsushita Takeshi. He put down the garbage bag he was carrying and helped lift the window pane up and off Kyu.

"Toyama-san, there's a piece of bamboo towards the left of the red table. You could use it to prop this open," Takeshi suggested. "Thanks!" Kinta jammed the window open with the short bamboo pole.

"Glad to help," the manager replied. The waiter Okami Jiro came strolling along with a heavy grocery bag. "Here're the ingredients Hanako-san wanted for today's event…"

"Hanako-san is not in today. Event's cancelled. The café is closed," Takeshi said.

"Eh? Why are you here then?" Kyu asked. The manager pointed in the direction he came from. "My home's up there. Nice quiet surroundings, though I would need a new place soon. The landlord's selling the whole place for development."

"Know anything about fake mediums?" Kintaro asked. He waved the gong at Takeshi. The man paled. "Guess I better come clean," he shrugged. "Tsukiko thought it will add more bang to the séances. Sometimes they would ask me to tap on the walls. It's just for show… Harmless stuff… Yukiko-san does have the gift, but not enough show for her sister…" Takeshi said. "Whatever Tsukiko said goes."

"That sounds like cheating, Matsushita-san," Okami Jiro observed. He turned to Kinta. "Could I put these in the kitchen, please?"

* * *

The Kuroshima apartment was on the fifteenth floor. Ryu met Kagome downstairs, both having obtained the address the day before. It was a wan Hanako who opened the door to them. If she had been dowdy at the séance, she looked way older now. Her hair was tied loosely in straggly braids. She wore a grimy apron over a faded yukata. She welcomed them in after Kagome introduced Ryu.

Yukiko was seated before an altar in the hall, chanting and waving a bunch of leaves. She wore white ceremonial robes. The hall was stifling with incense. She did not look up when the guests entered. Hanako beckoned them towards a door, the pair of DDS students followed. They were shown to a kitchen.

"Sorry for this, but I feel most at home in the kitchen…" Hanako explained as she offered them tea. "What's Yukiko-san doing?" Ryu asked.

"Placating the spirits. She should have known better. Tsukiko showed them disrespect and they killed her," Hanako said matter-of-factly. "We have all sinned against them. If only we had not listened to her…"

"The séance was all a fraud wasn't it?" Kagome said. Hanako nodded her head. "Takeshi-san was also in on it. Yukiko has the talent but it's not like in the movies where tables float and flying stuff. The departed are too dignified to resort to that."

"Did Yukiko manage to contact any spirits then?" Ryu asked. Hanako glanced at the hall. "If she did, she did not say. When can we get Tsukiko's body back for the funeral?" Ryu replied that the police would notify them when the coroner's done.

"About the sitting, does Tsukiko always sit in that position?" Ryu asked. Another nod from Hanako. "Yes. Habit I guess. We will always sit with Yukiko between us, to help focus the energy like our parents taught us. Yukiko's the only one with the gift strong enough to be a medium."

Kagome looked a little ashen. The sickly-sweet incense smell was starting to seep into the kitchen. Ryu decided they should leave.

"Wait," Yukiko rose suddenly from her seat when they were about to leave. She pressed something into Kagome's hand. "A gift from the spirits."

She returned to her chanting. Kagome looked at her hand. "What's that?" Ryu asked. "Nothing," Kagome clenched her fingers around the item. "Let's go," she almost fled the apartment. Ryu followed. In silence, they rode the elevator down to the lobby where…

The first thing Ryu saw on stepping out of the elevator is Alice the doll, in the arms of a waiting Koda Kagome. The principal's niece was sitting on a bench in the lobby. She looked up at the sound of the elevator opening.

"Ryu, did the Kuroshima sisters say anything?" Ryu's eyes almost popped out of their sockets, he turned around. No one else was in the lobby. Ryu cursed. He had been careless. The Kagome he had conducted the interview with did not have Alice. "Did you see anyone else in the elevator?"

"No. You were alone. You asked me to interview Higasawa Ayumi first. You look like you have seen a ghost..." Ryu darted up the fire escape. _He must have been hypnotized and Risa stepped out on one of the other floors, which one?_ He soon realised it was hopeless.

In the parking lot outside, an old lady plodded along. Risa opened up her hand and looked at the amulet in it. The words _'Safe Pregnancy'_ were embroidered on it.

* * *

"Your cousin accompanied you to interview the witness? And you did not know?" Kyu said in disbelief. Ryu nodded. "Whoa, she must be good at disguises."

Class E and Q were discussing the case in a classroom on campus. Erik and Kazuma had their laptops running.

"At least we learnt some new information from Ayumi. The poisoning incident at the Akihabara branch was probably not accidental. Ayumi saw Tsukiko sneaking about the kitchen while Hanako was on the phone. No proof but Tsukiko had motive for sabotaging her sister's branch. Seems Hanako's business was booming and she was thinking of leaving the _Black Cat_ franchise and setting up her own café. According to Ayumi, it was to be named _Take to Hana, _Bamboo and Flower Teahouse," Kagome said.

"It was followed by them losing the Akihabara lease and Mayuri's death, wasn't it?" Erik said. "Business in the Black Cat café plunged after that."

"Mayuri's death was probably accidental. She had an asthma attack and her inhaler was faulty," Kazuma observed. "Her parents are filing a suit against the manufacturer for civil damages."

"Hanako changed a lot after the poisoning incident…" Kazuma placed two photos on the desk. The first showed the woman as they recalled at the séance. The other showed a more vibrant-looking woman in a bohemian skirt and smart blouse. "Hanako suffered from depression and anxiety after the Akihabara incident. She is the brains behind the café's speciality cakes."

"Does the Black Cat serve Japanese desserts?" Ryu asked suddenly. "No," Megumi shook her head. "I browsed through the menu. It is a Western café. Not a single Japanese food item."

"The name of the café Hanako was thinking of setting up," Ryu remarked. "It should be a Japanese-themed café. Any leads on the archery angle?"

"All three Kuroshima sisters are trained in Kyudo, traditional Japanese archery," Kazuma tapped on his keyboard. "Matsushita Takeshi was also in the same kyudo club as the sisters, but he left due to a shoulder injury. Made it impossible for him to draw a longbow…" A picture of a kyudo team practice flashed on his laptop.

"Wait, Kazuma, isn't that one of the waitresses?" Kyu exclaimed and pointed at a young girl in the picture. "Right, Sadao Mayuri is the granddaughter of the kyudo master. It could be her in the photo. Mr Sadao Senior died last month after a long illness," Kazuma explained. "Eh? I thought it was Ayumi," Kyu picked up the photo of the two waitress. "They look alike…"

"Ready for the clincher?" Erik smirked. "They are sisters. Mayuri's the elder one of the pair, fraternal twins. As infants, they were left at the orphanage after their real parents were killed in a fire. Both Ayumi and Mayuri were adopted as toddlers by the Sadao and Higasawa households. Ayumi's foster parents were killed in a car accident two years ago. After which, she stopped schooling and has been working full-time at the Black Cat since. The other one, Mayuri, worked part-time during school days and full-time during the vacations."

"Did the Ayumi and Mayuri know they were related?" Megumi asked.

"No indication but they were aware but they were good friends," Kagome replied. "What about Okami Jiro?"

"OK, that temp is a high-school student at an elite private school. Family's quite well-off. Father's a lawyer, mother deceased. No siblings," Erik said. "He told the police he was in the kitchen and only left twice, once to get cheese from the back room at the back and once to go to the washroom. Ayumi has verified his statement. She also verified that Matsushita was in the back room grinding coffee beans. Heard the machine running."

* * *

**Author's Notes: **

Lady Hel – one, Ryu – zero? Ryu, were you sleeping?


	44. Coffee or Tea

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**43. Coffee or Tea**

"We must hurry back to the scene! That trash bag Matsushita was taking out." Kyu suddenly leapt to his feet. "Why would he walk all the way to the café to throw his garbage when he could have placed it outside his apartment?"

"You're right! He must have been removing something from the alley when we saw him. He may have gotten rid of it by now…" Meiling said. "We must hurry back and stop him if he still has it…" Kyu insisted.

"I'll give you a lift on my scooter!" Kinta offered.

* * *

It was after sunset when they reached the alley. They were surprised to see the lights in the café on, although the sign on the door said closed. Still, Kyu rapped on the door. It was opened by Kuroshima Hanako. "The police told me two hours ago we could return here," she explained. The place was a mess. Boxes littered the carpet. Hanako was clearly in the midst of packing away the many decorations. "Yukiko's overseeing the funeral…" she hesitated.

"Would you like a drink, Hana?" a male voice called out from the kitchen. "Coffee or tea?"

"Coffee please…" Hanako replied. "It may take a while," the male voice replied. "We're out but I know Okami brought in some new beans…" Kyu and Kinta recognized it as Takeshi's.

"Would you two like some coffee too?" Hanako asked. "Sure thing," both students replied.

"Two more, Takeshi-kun. And please bring those cakes out, we have visitors…" Hanako shouted.

"We decided, Yukiko and I, to sell the Black Cat and start anew. A little Japanese-styled place…" Hanako escorted them into the kitchen, which was spick and span. Kyu recalled the room at the back where the coffee grinder and supplies were kept. Matsushita smiled as he placed a small tray of Japanese mochi cakes on the counter before them. He took a bag of coffee beans from the cupboard and turned into the back room.

"Do try the mochi. Takeshi is a genius with them…" The phone in the front rang. "Would you kindly excuse me?" Hanako went to answer it, leaving Kinta and Kyu alone.

The sound of grinding beans echoed through the kitchen. "Where did Ayumi sit?" Kyu asked. He took out and flipped through the notes Kagome had made on her interview with Ayumi. She was sitting right where Kinta was now sitting.

"Kinta, could you see the back door and the back room door from there?" Kinta shook his head. "Not a chance. All I see is the fridge. I could see the door leading the passage with the washroom and the café…"

"But you can hear the coffee grinder, can't you?" Kyu asked. "Yeah," Kinta nodded. "Okami left the kitchen once to go to the washroom, 5 minutes, then 3 minutes to get a wheel of cheese from the back room store. The rest of the time, he spent chatting up Ayumi. He would not have time to enter the alley, but someone could have left the kitchen without Ayumi or Okami noticing." He got up and went into the back room where Takeshi was busy grinding beans.

"Gee, grinding the beans must be tough," Kyu said. Takeshi shook his head. "It is electric. I just need to make sure that the beans are moving…" he poked at the beans with a spatula.

* * *

"I get what you mean, Kyu," Kinta whispered when they left the café. "But we need evidence…"

"Hang on… did you notice soot on Takeshi's hands when he got us the cakes?" Kyu stopped in mid-stride. A smouldering trash can caught his eye. "He was burning something!" He dashed over to the can…

"Watch out!" the older teen called out a warning. "Yikes! Hot! HOT!" Kyu yelped and released his grip on the steel drum. It toppled over spilling ash and cinders onto the pavement with a tremendous crash. All round them, lights flickered on and heads peered out of windows. Kinta noticed that Hanako was watching them from the café's front porch.

"Kyu, what were you thinking?" Kinta smacked Kyu over the head. He stomped out a few embers before the grass verge caught fire.

"Talk about making stirring up the grass and scaring off the snake. When did you two take up fire-walking?" a calm voice called out. A blond teen dismounted from his bicycle and strolled over to them. "Thorsen-san?"

"Got some news. The name Matsushita sounded familiar, so I looked it up. Seems our manager is the grandson of a line of sweet-makers dating way back to the Edo era," Erik squatted on the pavement and peered at the ashes. He poked at them gingerly with a discarded bamboo skewer. "Say, you guys think something was toasting in there, like evidence?"

"Yes," Kyu replied. "Let's find it then…" Erik nodded.

"Looks like a bunch of charred wood to me," Kinta said as they sifted through the ashes. A metallic sound caught their attention. Erik scooped up a piece of blackened metal from the ashes and gave a low whistle. "Guys, we may have found something…"

"What's that?" Kyu peered at the metal bit. "Hey, it that what I think it is?" Kinta exclaimed.

* * *

"Why are we all here?" Yukiko asked Kyu. "We are here to reveal the truth," he replied and glanced around the café. Takeshi and Hanako were seated on the settee to the side of the room. The waiter and waitress hovered about the now bare counter. Kagome, Erik, Kazuma and Megumi were in the same position they were during the séance. Kazuma looked understandably nervous. The round table and chairs have been placed the way they were during the murder. Empty armchairs showed where the Kuroshima sisters sat.

Meiling was flitting about like a hummingbird. "The coffee grinder in the hostel broke down," she held a large bag of coffee beans. "Could I have this ground here, please?" she asked Matsushita. "I know how to use it. It's the same type as the one in the hostel…" The manager nodded. "Arigato!" she disappeared into the kitchen, leaving the door open. The muffled sound of grinding beans came from within.

Kazuma whispered into his communicator. "Kinta, how good are you?"

"Trust me, little buddy. I'm a descendant of a ninja family and have trained in judo, kendo…"

"Got the point, but it's me who is exposed…"

Hey, we're using rubber-tips. Just fall over when Kyu says so."

"Well, this is a waste of our time," Takeshi declared. Hanako nodded in agreement. "All of us had alibis for the time of the murder. Hanako and the others inside were drugged and the three of us were in the kitchen."

"Someone didn't have an alibi. Someone had opportunity and motive to carry out the murder," Ryu said and stood by the window. He glanced out.

"The doors and windows were locked from within," Hanako said. "But the windows here could be opened from outside…" Ryu pointed out a broken latch. The killer fired his arrow through the window and killed his target…" He stepped away from the window.

"Nonsense! It must be the work of a madman. Your friends were sitting in front of the window…" Takeshi protested. Yukiko was pale and silent. Hanako looked wan. "Ayumi, Jiro, please wheel out the tea trolley…" she asked. "Wait! Everyone please remain seated!" Kagome cried out. Jiro and Ayumi froze at the counter.

"It was not a random murder, as we will prove now!" Kyu shouted. Immediately, Erik, Kazuma and Megumi either fell off their perches or slumped onto the table. One of the window sashes lifted up about six inches. A whooshing sound was heard and a single arrow sliced the air harmlessly over Kazuma and Megumi, bouncing off the armchair where Tsukiko sat. The point had been replaced by a small rubber ball.

"So how's that for my aim?" Kinta's head poked up at the window. "Good work! Come on in, Kinta," Kyu called out. Kinta disappeared from the window.

"This was what happened on the day of the séance. Everyone was drugged by the incense burner. Erik, Megumi and Kazuma, who would have been in the line of fire, were moved out of the line of fire by falling off their seats or onto the table. They were all sitting on these stools, which were shaky to start with," Ryu demonstrated by taking one of the stools and jiggling it to show how unsteady it was.

"So who did it?" Yukiko exclaimed. "No one would want Tsukiko dead…" her voice was hesitant. She cast glances in the direction of her older sister and the manager. "You know who has motive. _Take to Hana,_ the café which was planned…" Ryu continued. "A Japanese-style café with traditional sweets, run in partnership with Kuroshima Hanako. The chef would be Matsushita Takeshi, wouldn't it? It would have been a chance for you to re-establish your family's name after your grandfather closed Matsushita Sweets 20 years ago…"

Kinta entered the café holding a Japanese longbow. "The killer fired an arrow into the room from outside. Only one person's alibi did not hold up. You," Kyu pointed at Takeshi.

"Rubbish! I could not have used a bow," Takeshi glanced at Yukiko, who was nodding vigorously. "That's right. Takeshi suffered a shoulder injury and had to leave the kudo club because he could no longer draw and aim with the longbow…"

"Except the arrow which killed Tsukiko was not fired from this longbow," Kinta corrected. "Mei," he shouted into the kitchen. Meiling stepped out of the kitchen with a crossbow.

"The murder weapon was a crossbow like this, which was destroyed," Kyu said. "The differences between a crossbow and a longbow, is that a crossbow can be drawn and primed using the trigger before aiming," Ryu took the blunt arrow and the crossbow. "Thanks to this trigger mechanism which was recovered near the café," Kyu placed the sooty piece of metal on the table.

"It doesn't prove anything!" Takeshi shouted and leapt from his seat. "Takeshi…" Hanako placed a restraining hand on his arm. He relented and took his seat.

"Ayumi and Jiro's view of the back room and back door was obscured by the fridge. Did you see him inside the room?" Kyu asked. Jiro nodded. "Only when I went in to get the cheese. Mostly, I was trying to ask Ayumi out… but the grinder was making such a racket, I had to shout to be heard."

"Do you hear the beans grinding?" Kyu held up his hand for silence. Everyone heard the soft grinding sound from the kitchen. "The machine is running but Meiling, who had gone in to grind the beans, is here…"

"Wait, I'm going to turn it off. That crappy machine overheats if you're not careful!" Jiro leapt to his feet and sprinted inside. He re-emerged a few minutes later with a trolley with tea on it.

"In fact, she was also in the alley with me earlier during the experiment. She fired the arrow…" Kinta said. "Once primed, it only takes a good aim…"

"What? I thought you were firing it," Kazuma exclaimed. "Relax, Kazu-kun, Mei's an expert shot with a crossbow," Kinta said.

"You arranged everything, Matsushita Takeshi. The stools, where Ayumi sat in the kitchen, the tampered incense… You knew Tsukiko was in the habit of sitting in that armchair for all séances. We have confirmed this with photos taken of previous séances held here," Ryu said. "You probably left the windows unlatched so that you could shoot the arrow from the alley. You would have let Jiro be your alibi but Ayumi forgot her purse, so you had them both as your alibi."

"Your fingerprints have been recovered from the steel drum where you tried to destroy the murder weapon. The wooden parts burned but the trigger remained. Your prints have also been found on the outside of the windows, some of them under mine," Kyu said. "Your prints were there before I got stuck in the window."

"You're right… I killed that bitch," Matsushita admitted finally. "That witch destroyed our dream. She sabotaged Hanako's café so she could not think of leaving to start _Take to Hana_. My father squandered whatever fortune we had and I needed Hanako's backing to start the business. Without the capital, I'm stuck being a mere servant in this damned café." Hanako gasped in shock. Yukiko was silent. Ayumi stepped back, as if she wanted to hide behind the tea trolley.

"Hanako-san, shall I serve the tea?" Jiro asked calmly. "Please do, Hanako mumbled. The waitress and waiter went around offering cups of red tea to everyone present. Everyone accepted as the interior of the café was hot despite the cool autumn weather outside.

"Smells good…" Kyu sniffed at his tea. He lifted the cup to his lips when a crash sounded. It was Takeshi's teacup. Takeshi had collapsed onto the floor and was convulsing. Hanako screamed. Chaos broke out as various members started showing signs of poisoning.

"Don't drink the tea!" Kyu shouted. Ryu was bending over Kinta who had already gulped down his tea. Their classmate was gasping for breath. Yukiko was sprawled on the floor, out cold. Ayumi was on her knees and screaming. The waiter Okami Jiro dashed to the washroom. Sounds of forced retching echoed from within.

"My mouth feels numb…" Kagome announced matter-of-factly. Her half-empty teacup sat on the table before her. Meiling was vomiting onto the carpet as Erik patted her vigorously on the back with one hand while dialling for an ambulance with the other. Kazuma was pale. "I drank the tea too… Ai! My stomach!" their classmate sprinted for the washroom as the cramps came with a vengeance.

"So did I," Megumi stared at Kyu, her eyes pools of fear as she waited for the symptoms to hit. Kyu's heart sank. Besides him, only Erik and Ryu were calm enough to take charge and had not drunk any tea, or had they? Erik suddenly buckled over and crashed to the carpet. The mobile phone in his hand showed the emergency number. Kyu's eyes met Ryu's. "Kyu, take the phone from Erik… I drank the tea too…" Ryu said.

* * *

"Fenrir's methods are so inelegant…" Lady Hel remarked as she peered at the carnage through binoculars from a limo parked across the street. Kerberos nodded. "I really must have a talk with him when he comes out," she chewed on a riceball. Her appetite had increased in the past few months. The doctor had suggested treatment for her illness, but that would endanger the baby, wouldn't it? Besides, her hair would fall out during the treatment and she was proud of her flowing locks.

An ambulance barrelled down the street, sirens screaming. Amid the chaos, someone tapped on the window of the limo. "Nee-san, I'm back," Fenrir grinned wolfishly as Hel let him enter the limo. "Like you ordered, nee-san, Amakusa's yours."

**Author's Notes:**

A mass-poisoning incident. Will Class Q survive to crack their next case?


	45. Poison Roulette

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**44. Poison Roulette **

"Megu!" Kyu held Megumi's hands as the ambulances arrived. They were clammy to touch. _Was it due to fear or the poison?_ "The cups, Kyu!" Ryu gasped between administering breaths to Kinta, who was turning blue. Ryu was determined to keep helping as much as he could before the poison incapacitated him. It was Meiling who responded. The plucky girl wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She fished out a marker from her Doremon waist pouch and staggered from cup to cup, marking them.

The medics arrived through the door and the stricken were carried out on stretchers. Matsushita Takeshi, Kinta, Erik Thorsen and Kuroshima Yukiko were whisked out rapidly. Kagome staggered out with the help of a medic, breathing through an oxygen mask. Too weak to walk, Meiling was carried out in the arms of another medic as they had run out of stretchers. The hysterical Hanako and Ayumi were gently led out. Only Megumi, Ryu and Kyu remained. Ryu and Megumi had not experienced any signs of poisoning yet.

"Okami and Kazuma," Kyu recalled. He dashed to the washroom and tripped over Kazuma, who was rolling on the tiled floor, groaning. A brown patch stained the seat of his pants. Okami Jiro was nowhere in sight. Only a neatly folded apron, the same one Okami Jiro was wearing earlier, lay on the sink.

* * *

"Megumi, I'm so glad you weren't poisoned," Kyu declared. "Same here," Megumi replied with a kiss on Kyu's cheek. Both she and Ryu had been given activated carbon pills. The pills turned out to be unnecessary when the lab tests revealed their teacups to be clean.

"Hey, what about Ryu?" Kazuma whispered weakly from his sickbed. An IV was stuck in his arm to protect against dehydration. Ryu only smiled. "How's Kinta?" the younger boy asked.

"They just took him off the ventilator. He got poisoned, not with a powerful laxative like you, but something that caused his throat to swell," Ryu explained. "The doctors had to stick a breathing tube into his throat."

"Poor Kinta, is he awake?" Kazuma asked.

"Yeah, but he is one hell sore and he can't talk much for now. We've just been to see him," Erik stepped through the ward door. He was pushing Meiling in a wheelchair. The Chinese girl held an IV-drip stand like Kazuma's. "Erik, how are you feeling?" Kyu asked.

"Slept like a baby for ten hours, thanks to those sleeping pills Pluto loading into my tea," Erik said sardonically. "Kagome's feeling better too. The numbness had worn off. The fright triggered an asthma attack so they warded her. Nanami-sensei's with her."

"I'm feeling better too," Meiling said weakly. "Nanami-sensei!" Their principal entered the ward with Kagome. Kagome was wearing a patient's gown but she still held her doll. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail.

"Thought I would find you here… The results from the lab are out. Not all the teacups were poisoned. Thanks to Meiling and Minami, we were able to match each cup to its owner. Kuroshima Yukiko received a dose of sleeping pills. Sleeping pills were also found in her sister's cup. Ayumi's cup was clean, as was Okami's. Minami's and Amakusa's also were clean. Kagome had mild dose of a numbing agent. Renjou's tea contained a laxative. Meiling threw up most of the poison she received. Lucky thing as the dose could have killed her with her small built. Based on the tea that remained, the levels of the poison varied in concentration, not all lethal. Different poisons are used. The highest and most lethal concentration of poison was in Matsushita's," Nanami informed his students.

"How's Matsushita?" Kyu asked. "Not too good," Erik reported. "I understand from his nurse that he had suffered some brain damage. He's in a coma and the prognosis is worse than Sleeping Beauty."

"Hanako-san's at his bedside…" Meiling added. She played with the end of her braid.

"The whole thing is like Russian Roulette! The tea trolley was left unattended in the kitchen. Both Ayumi and Jiro distributed the teacups. Everything was random …" Ryu exclaimed. Megumi closed her eyes. "There were 12 cups. Based on my memory, Takeshi's, Kinta's, Kazuma's, Kyu's, Ryu's and Okami's cups were on the left side of the trolley. They were given out in that order by Okami Jiro. Ayumi gave out the others in the order: Hanako, Yukiko, Erik, me, Kagome, and Ayumi."

"Poison roulette," Erik remarked ominously.

"I have some more information. The real Okami Jiro was in a monastery up north for the past month undergoing some religious Zen training. He signed up under a false name as his father objected to his Zen inclinations," Nanami added.

"The Okami Jiro with us was a Pluto agent," Ryu concluded.

"Okami means wolf in Japanese, right?" Erik interjected. "Fenrir, the brother of the Norse goddess Hel, takes the form of a monstrous wolf. The wolf who swallowed the sun."

"What happened to Fenrir, Erik? You told me that Jormungand was killed during Ragnarok. His head crushed by a hammer wielded by the Thunder God Thor," Meiling asked.

"Just as Jormungand was hurled into the sea by Odin, Fenrir was imprisoned by the gods. The gods knew that Fenrir was a danger, but they could not shed wolf-blood. Thor, a master blacksmith, challenged Fenrir by claiming that he could craft an unbreakable chain. Fenrir laughed and bid him try, for the monster had great strength. So Thor crafted chains to bind the beast. Twice, the chains were forged and twice they failed to hold Fenrir. Thor went to the Norns and obtained from them a bewitched chain. Suspecting trickery, for this chain was as slender as a lady's gold chain, Fenrir refused to be bound, unless one of the gods put his arm between his jaws…" Erik narrated slowly. It was a story he had grown up with as a child. He pushed Meiling to one side of the room.

"What happened?" Kyu asked excitedly.

"Tyr, the god of war, came forth and volunteered his arm. Thor chained Fenrir with the chain and Fenrir tried to break free. The chain held. Realizing he had been tricked, Fenrir snapped his jaws shut, severing Tyr's arm… Fenrir was stretched bound across the base of the Bifrost Bridge leading to Asgard…" Erik suddenly froze in mid-tale. His eyes were fixed on some point outside the ward's door.

"Erik?" To everyone's surprise, Erik Thorsen sprinted out into the corridor as if possessed.

"Hey, wait up!" Kyu ran after him, worried.

"What happened?" Ryu asked perplexed. "Tyr. The one-armed Norse god," Kagome replied to everyone's puzzlement.

:"There was a one-armed man who passed the ward just now," Megumi said. "Blond Caucasian, has a right arm that ends just above the elbow. Tall, 6 feet at least."

* * *

Down the corridor, Kyu caught up with Erik.

"He's gone," Erik said. :"Who's gone?" Kyu asked.

:"My father…" Erik whispered hoarsely.

"Uh?" Kyu blinked.

"Let's get back to the others, shall we?" Erik shrugged.

"Sure," Kyu nodded. It was obvious Erik had no intention of discussing his reasons for his abrupt departure from the ward.

* * *

The crisp autumn wind had a sharp bite to it as was normal for the climate so far up north. In summer, the climate was pleasant, but no endless fields of flowers bloomed on this place. Steep cliffs plunged into deep water. There was only one natural harbour on the island. Entry was treacherous. Fast currents, jagged shoals and in winter, sea ice often held the island's inhabitants captive for weeks on end.

So it was a surprise to the ancient woman when she peered out of her cliff-top cottage and saw the small craft approach. Despite her advanced age, her eyesight was still as sharp as it was in her girlhood. The boatman was a familiar face to her, as was Master Vladimir. The other two were strangers.

She leaned over and scratched the ears of the large Russian wolfhound at her side. Glancing up at the framed sepia photo of her long-gone brother, she remarked in Russian. "Alexis, it is an evil wind that has come to this island. God forbid that the shores be covered with corpses again."

She stuffed her feet into the fur-lined slippers she had been given by Master Vladimir's father. She hobbled over to the small shrine and lit a candle, reciting a prayer to God as she did so.

**Author's Notes:**

More Norse mythology references from Erik.

Wolves were native to Japan, until the 19th century when the Japanese wolf went extinct. The species is believed to be smaller than the grey wolf of Eurasia.

More on the Russian connection in the next case.


	46. Between Acts

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**45. Between Acts**

Outside a roadside café, Hougou Tatsumi flipped through the classified ads. Since leaving DDC, he had tried to strike out solo. No easy feat, given that he no longer had access to DDS' scientific expertise. He could ask Maki or the others for help, but still it did not seem proper for him to do so. There were a few fairly successful cases, mostly tracking down missing relations and finding lost items. He took a drink from his beer and pulled his coat tightly around him. He needed a stable job, just to keep paying the rent.

An ad caught his eye.

_Security guards needed for private mansion. Good wages, lodging and food provided. _Hougou decided he would try the number provided. After all, he had a solid background in security.

Nearby, a man dined with his daughter. Finishing his coffee, the man removed his glass eye, much to the shock and disgust of nearby patrons. He wiped his glass eye with his silk handkerchief before popping it back into its socket. He turned to his daughter, who was finishing off a large sundae. She was twelve, an age when children's appetites grew out of proportion to their small size.

"Eva, you saw him, didn't you?" he asked in a soft Scottish burr. The girl nodded in reply, her blond locks bouncing. The evening wind did not bother her in the least, even though she was only dressed in a brown cotton frock. The wind back home was much colder. The man took out a cigarette and held it in his mouth. He fumbled for his lighter.

"Will you be going to Belize, papa?" she asked seriously. Their visit to Tokyo was only to fit her father with a prosthetic arm. His coat sleeve flapped emptily. The prosthetic was bundled snugly in the old-fashioned carpet bag beside their feet. Eva knew her father probably found it too cumbersome for his liking. The man nodded and struggled with lighting his cigarette. His daughter fished his lighter out of his one hand and lit it for him.

"We belong to different worlds, papa. He will probably turn into an ambassador like his uncle. We are merchants of death," the girl whispered into the wind.

* * *

Master Vladimir did not appear to break his concentration when she entered the pavilion. The bow danced over the violin's string, coaxing out beautiful music which filled the rose-scented garden. Russian wolfhounds lounged on the stone steps, taking in the last remnants of warmth from the setting sun. They moved out of her way demurely, recognizing her. They were the offspring of the hunting hounds so treasured by the bygone Russian nobility, bred for both loyalty and power.

"The Devil's Trill," the old woman identified the piece of music. "Duchess, what ever brings you here?" the young man laid down his violin. His eyes were as grey as the winter sea of her homeland, his smile wolfish. The woman held her head high. She knew his type, having brushed shoulders with them since girlhood. He possessed a dangerous combination of privilege and recklessness, the type which in bygone times could turn cities into bloodbaths for selfish gain.

"You mean to be rid of him, don't you?" she asked.

"Maybe."

"I've seen the way you looked at her. It's not acceptable… Vladimir Alexeivitch, I knew your father and your grandmother…"

"You also knew my great-grandfather and why I must act," the young man locked his violin case and walked away from her towards the looming mansion without a backward glance. The wolfhounds brushed against her legs, agitated, before following their master indoors. With a tired sigh, the old woman crossed herself in the Russian Orthodox style.

* * *

The rest of autumn passed without further news from Pluto. "Kagome," Nanami looked up as his niece entered the room. "I have been meaning to ask you for a while, about your vision."

Kagome nodded. "I was hallucinating from the fumes, uncle. Nothing supernatural about that. I guess I may have seen Loki's and Ken Bartley's pictures somewhere and they kind of stuck." Nanami nodded. Loki's photo was on their DDC records. Ken Bartley's was on Ryunosuke's bedside table.

"I was about to ask you about that forged will. How did you figure out that the real will was not burnt but hidden behind the portrait of the deceased? There was no logical or scientific basis for that deduction," Nanami asked. Kagome shrugged. "Well, we found it. I sensed there was something amiss with the photo being where it was. It was a nice painting of the dead woman when she was a young starlet. Uncle Kotaro, there is no scientific basis for a sixth sense. So Meiling and I took down the portrait and prised open the frame…"

"You caused some significant damage to the portrait. If it weren't for the will… Next time you get one of your sixth sense moments and need to handle some pricey artwork, be more careful."

* * *

Class Q did receive a few cases, which were easily solved.

"Another case closed! Ramen, anyone?" Kinta offered. "My treat!"

"I want the 1-million-yen gold-dust ramen at Sakura Restaurant!" Kazuma added and promptly gets whacked by Kinta. "Hey, be reasonable!"

"I was going to say I'm treating!" Kazuma whimpered, rubbing his head. "How about a beef hotpot?" Ryu suggested.

It was good that Kinta had recovered sufficiently to roughhouse with them. The criminal in the séance murder was not so lucky. Kagome informed them that Matsushita was possibly in a permanent coma with little chance of recovery. "Hanako will wait for him though," she shrugged when she said it. Erik had returned to Norway to visit his grandmother. Kagome had reached a truce with her uncle. She apparently got over her infatuation.

"Any word from Risa or her cronies?" Kinta asked. Ryu shook his head. "No word from them. And I can't figure out Ryunosuke's clue."

"Well, I have heard of the RPG Vahalla…" Kyu offered.

"Your step-mother owns shares in a ruby mine and that other major shareholder is a company going by the name Bifrost International. The same name as the bridge in Norse myth. No leads from that angle?" Kinta asked. "Maybe you could ask her…"

"I don't want to bother them. Besides, she has no idea of the business. My father and Judith are settling in well in California. They intend to visit in spring…The company is legit. No oddities in the books or anything. It was formed in Germany after the war and deals in mainly in arts and jewels. My father has had no direct dealings with them so far but they are well-known in the high-end arts market," Ryu clarified as they walked along. Megumi was helping wind a fluffy scarf around Kyu's neck. The weather was turning cold. As Ryu watched, Megumi gave Kyu a quick peck on the lips. Those two were definitely getting along very well. Recently, both Kyu and Megu had been going off together after school, alone.

* * *

The beef hotpot was piping-hot and delicious. They ran into Class A's Shiramine and Yukihira, who were finishing a lovers' special discount beef pot at the same eatery. Kazuma teased the pair and the pair's faces reddened. Then Shiramine took Yukihira's hand and the pair went off to catch a movie. After their meal, Kinta hurried off to his work at a convenience store. Kazuma's limo turned up to fetch him home.

"That period movie Shiramine mentioned, _Haunting of Edo Castle_, sounded interesting, shall we?" Kyu asked.

"But it is a horror movie," Megumi hesitated. "Aw, it's more detective mystery than horror, I'll hold you if you are scared…" Kyu added cheekily. "I hear Shiro K of the J-Pop Boys is starring as the detective… Can you imagine him in period dress?"

"Shiro K? He can't even sing, but can he act period drama?" Megumi asked. Her interest piqued, she agreed to go to the movie. "Coming along, Ryu?" Kyu recalled his best friend standing forgotten by the bus stand. "I'll pass," Ryu replied. He did not want to play gooseberry. Kyu and Megu waved goodbye and went to the cinema, leaving Ryu to wait for his bus.

"Hi Kagome-san," Ryu greeted Kagome when he spotted her cycling along the pavement. Her lacy black skirts were hitched up to the handlebars, revealing slender legs encased in silky white muslin topped with black ribbon garters at mid thigh. Old-fashioned lacy knickers peeked out when the skirt billowed upwards. The cold wind did not bother her, nor did the glances she attracted. Alice the doll was perched precariously on the handlebars.

"Amakusa, any plans for Christmas?" she braked to a stop beside him. Ryu blushed. "No…" he hesitated and stared at her. _Was this the real Kagome?_ "Don't make any. All things will come soon," she added cryptically. "They say Christmas is also the Winter Solstice, when the huntsman rounds up the souls of the year's dead."

"What do you mean by that?" Ryu asked startled.

"Time is running out for them as well. They have to make a move, even if it means Ragnarok for them," Kagome rummaged inside her purse and pulled out some crumpled medical reports. "St Clair faxed this over from US. Tatiana Kokuonova, alias Kokuo Risa, has only a few more years to live, if not less. Her brother Ryoma has a congenital heart condition that is incurable. He is not expected to live beyond his twenties, even with medical aid. I got this one from Ryunosuke's files. Ryunosuke had the job of sourcing the drugs Ryoma needs via the Internet."

"You guess that they have not been receiving proper medical attention for a while?" Ryu asked. Kagome shrugged. "My uncle is tracking all medical records in the nation, but I do not expect any leads."

**Author's Notes: **

Thank you readers and reviewers.

Another case is coming. This coming case will be the last case in this fic.

That image of Gothic Lolita Kagome on a bicycle is one inspired by the described practice of some Shanghai girls in the past who deal with hot summer days and long skirts on bicycles in the same manner. Ryu must have got quite an eyeful of those legs.


	47. By Invitation Only

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**46. By Invitation Only **

Ryu had settled into a comfortable routine living alone in his apartment. The smaller apartment was easier to keep clean with no need for a maid. Ryu was never really comfortable about having someone pick up after him. It reminded him too much of his years in Pluto. The neighbours were friendly. The location was convenient, unlike the DDS hostels which were located away from most transport and shopping facilities.

It was November but the stores had turned on their Christmas lights. Ryu had succumbed to temptation while riding through the shopping street after his chat with Kagome. He had disembarked before a large shopping complex and mingled with the festive shoppers.

He toted two bags of presents for his friends across the threshold. A Sherlock Holmes mug for Kyu, a cute teddy bear for Megumi, Kinta a pair of new trainers (Ryu had remembered Kinta's shoe size) and a snazzy CD holder for Kazuma. He had also bought gifts for Class E, since they had worked together in the past year on some really dangerous cases involving Pluto.

Erik's gift was an English-Japanese dictionary with kanji. Kagome's was a Gothic Lolita mobile phone bag. Meiling would get the cute Hello Kitty plush-toy.

Ryu felt a stab of pain when he recalled the last gift he had purchased on a whim. A singing sunflower desk ornament for Ryunosuke, the last member of Class E, whom Ryu belatedly recalled after his purchase, was no longer alive.

He switched on the lights and saw the envelope on the welcome mat. It must have been slid under his front door.

_By special invitation only._ The words were printed on the envelope in gold lettering in English, Japanese and Cyrillic lettering. He locked the door behind him.

_Amakusa Ryu, you are invited as a descendant of the esteemed Kuzuryu Takumi to attend a gathering at Vahalla Manor. You are entitled to invite two companions…_

"Vahalla," Ryu whispered.

* * *

In far-off Oslo, Erik Thorsen lay back on the balcony swing of his grandmother's house, imagining how the balcony was like in summer. Now, frost nipped at his nose. The frozen steelwork burnt through his thick wool clothes. The roses had long withered on the balcony. The old lady loved her roses. Whites and reds, she told him. A visit to his grandmother was always nostalgic. The apartment was decorated with needlework frames of scenes from Anderson's fairy tales. _The Little Match Girl, the Wild Swans, Ugly Duckling, the Snow Queen…_ He thought the match girl reminded him of Meiling and the icy Snow Queen reminded him of Kagome. Kyu would probably be the poor ugly duckling.

"A visitor, Erik, you have a visitor," his grandmother shuffled into the cold. Erik rose from the swing. He saw the girl framed in the doorway and the dark servant behind her. The old lady retreated for the warmth indoors, promising hot tea and cookies.

"Lady Ravenhall," Erik managed a bow. "Here to collect your pound of flesh?" he got up. He owed her for that phone call months earlier. Lady Ravenhall was young but a deadly opponent if crossed. The chilly wind gave her cheeks a rosy hue, but her eyes were icy amethysts.

"Erik, I want your services as a detective," the young lady snapped. "My father, God rest his soul, was foully murdered by those who dare call themselves his bosom friends," her voice dripped venom with every word. "I want you to find proof, proof which will damn them all, turn their lives into hell."

"If I refuse?" Erik Thorsen hesitated. Ravenhall watched him cautiously. Her dark-skinned familiar approached, one hand resting on his coat pocket. A telltale bulge in it sent shivers up Erik's back. "It is a long way down, Erik…" Ravenhall looked over the edge of the balcony with a smile. _A dangerous woman,_ Erik admitted. "You win," he raised his hands in defeat.

"I have your word, Erik?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow. Erik nodded and murmured his assent.

"Carlos, has that banana defrosted already?" Ravenhall asked her servant. The young man nodded and pulled out the cause of the bulge, a banana. He peeled it and offered it to his mistress. Erik groaned. He had been fooled. His grandmother peered out of the window, urging them in for hot tea and cookies.

* * *

Ryu decided. He needed to go. _And he would go alone…_ He hesitated. The last time he took off solo on a case… No, there was no case now, only an invitation from some admirers of his respected ancestor. _Vahalla Manor…_ The name of the venue could not be mere coincidence. He turned his attention back to the letter. They were to go at a certain northernmost town in Hokkaido, where a private boat will take them to the island. He could ask for help from Class Q…

* * *

Hougou Tatsumi was not a man easily scared but his heart was thumping for some unknown reason. That nagging feeling started on the flight up north and worsened on the bus and subsequent boat ride. Waves of foreboding washed over him and he adjusted his tie for the umpteenth time. After replying to the ad, he soon found himself and two other candidates escorted through a luxurious manor by a young man, possibly their future employer's butler. The three candidates were left in a waiting room while their employer came down for the final interview.

Hougou stole a glance at his fellow candidates. One was young and unarguably fit. He was like a nervous puppy, clearly overwhelmed by their opulent surroundings. He had chatted on the boat, mentioning he was forced to seek employment since he was unable to afford the rising fees at the university. The other man was older and sullen, but held himself like a military man. Hougou noticed his hands trembled constantly, so that he had to stuff them into his pockets.

Hougou glanced out the window, taking in the rocky shoreline. He had noticed that the shore where they disembarked was littered with bones. The cause of it was probably the eroded cliff before his eyes now. It was topped with a solitary chapel which perched precariously at the edge. He could make out the faint outlines of a few gravestones still standing.

The door opened and someone entered. The first thing that hit him was the scent of roses. The newcomer was female. He could see her reflected in the glass. She was very old and clearly not of Japanese stock. Her skirt whished slightly as she spoke, first to the younger man. The youth went strangely quiet. He sat down on a settee. She turned her attention to the military man, placing a hand on his shoulder and speaking to him in soft voice.

Hougou glanced at the younger man. He was staring trance-like into empty air. A wistful smile was on his face. Alarm bells chimed in Hougou's mind. He whipped around to face the woman. The other man had been incapacitated in the same manner as the other candidate.

"Who are you?" Hougou tensed. The woman before him was small and very ancient. Instinct told him that it was no disguise she wore. She smiled at him, like a grandmother would at a favourite grandchild.

"Rest for now, you have come a long way…" the words were delivered with a strange accent. All wariness fled his body, leaving only a strange calm. It was as if he were whisked back to his childhood, when one awoke believing everything would be cared for… He slumped on the settee next to his younger colleague.

"Hougou Tatsumi, you have an impressive resume," the duchess whispered as she left them.

"Finished, Duchess?" Master Vladimir asked. "Done," the old woman bowed. "This cannot continue forever, Vladimir. I am an old woman…"

"Yet you will not teach me," he accused. His grey eyes flashing.

"The young ones will leave, the manor will return to the earth, the island will cease to be. I saw that when your father left," the old woman intoned. "They will not teach you either, will they? She has no interest in remaining on this rock. Even though we try to get new blood, new talent on the island, there is no future. We cannot live in dreams of the past. Or what may have been. Leave me in peace to live out the rest of my days."

"You still dream, don't you, Duchess, of what you have lost?" the young master asked mockingly. "Like me, you are chained to this rock." He picked up a Faberge egg from the side table and opened it. Inside the bejewelled egg was a miniature diamond tiara. The interior of the egg was emblazoned with the double-headed royal eagle of Imperial Russia. He held it out to her.

"One word of caution, Master. You and the young lady must heed your health," the old woman spurned the jewelled trinket offered to her. "The young one inside was a medic and a medical student. Even he would advise you as I do."

**Author's Notes: **

Hougou is in something way over his head. Will Ryu accept the invitation? Will he go alone? If not, who will he ask? And how does Erik tie in on this case? More will be revealed.

I'm dropping hints left and right on someone's identity here.


	48. Road to Vahalla

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**47. Road to Vahalla **

"_Ryu, something's bothering you. It's Pluto, isn't?" _

It was this simple question Kyu asked after class that resulted in both him and Megumi waiting alongside Amakusa Ryu at the pier. Answering his question, Ryu had told Kyu about the invitation. On finding out that Ryu had decided to attend the gathering, Kyu insisted on accompanying him, so did the rest of the class. Then Kinta caught a throat infection and was hospitalized. Kazuma came down with the chicken pox and was recovering at home.

The weather was cold so far north. They could see floes of ice bobbing offshore. The town they came to was a backwater fishing village. In winter, the boats were idle. They were not the only persons on the pier. A blond woman, accompanied by a man, held a small bundle under her shawl. An elderly man hobbled onto the pier, assisted by a younger man. They shared a family resemblance. A nurly middle-aged man with a weathered face smoked a cigarette as he waited by his vessel. The craft seemed too flimsy to venture out to sea in. However, the man reassured them that he had ferried an earlier group over. Finishing his smoke, he motioned to them to get in.

"Wait!" a voice bellowed. A group of three came onto the pier running. The one running behind was a dark young man carrying two large luggage bags. The one running in front of him was a young woman in a long dress. For one moment, Ryu was reminded of Kagome. The dress she wore was cut in Victorian style. Then he realised that she was not carrying any dolls. He watched her warily. She could be Risa. They appeared around the same age… but Risa was a master of disguise. The man, clearly a servant, was dressed similarly in a suit more befitting a butler in Victorian London than a sea outing.

"Hey, Amakusa! Kyu! What are you guys doing here?" Erik bellowed as he caught up to them on the pier. He bore a haversack on his back. Unlike his companions, he was dressed in modern wear of sweater and jeans. With an agile leap, he landed in the boat, rocking it to the alarm of the grandfather and grandson pair who had gotten in the boat already. Kyu noticed a small smirk on Erik's face as he watched the struggling pair. The boatman only laughed and held a helping hand to the young mother. She passed her mewling infant to him before stepping into the boat with the aid of her companion.

"Ryu was invited…" Kyu said and explained the letter. "Really? So those rumours are true…" Erik paused in mid-sentence when the raven-haired girl he had arrived with clutched his arm. She muttered something which Kyu did not understand. Erik pulled away from Kyu, his face sombre. All the passengers had taken their seat. The boatman started the engine and the tired craft chugged to life. Freezing sea spray doused them through open windows. The wind was merciless and cold as a knife. Erik clung to the bow of the boat, braving the buffeting winds. The strange young lady sat demurely beside him. The pair appeared to be sharing a private conversation. The servant sat stoic, braving the sea spray, blocking easy access to the narrow bow.

* * *

"W-wanna do a Titanic?" Kyu nudged Megumi. Megumi shook her head, it was way too cold for that.

The three teens from Class Q could only huddle together in the sheltered stern. The young mother held her infant close. Her companion murmured words of reassurance. He had removed his broad-brimmed hat. The man had a metal cross on a chain around his neck, possibly a priest or minister. He held a small travel bag with him and clutched a battered pocket bible to his chest. Grey streaks showed at his temples. He was not a young man. As if to encourage herself and her child, the mother started humming a lullaby. Despite the mother's best efforts, the infant began to howl. The crotchety grandfather hurled verbal abuse at the flustered mother. The priest looked up. His face was horribly scarred as if from fire. His hands were encased in gloves.

"Look," Megumi pulled at her friends' arms when she saw his face. "His eyes, they are odd like Ryunosuke's." _One green, one brown… _

There was an angry exchange of words between the men which developed into a scuffle between the priest and the grandson before their boatman restored order with a thinly-veiled threat of lightening the load so as to get to the island sooner.

"Nazi scum," the woman spat under her breath. The priest shed his overcoat and placed it round her shoulders. The infant quietened. The mother had hair so pale, it was almost silvery, but her face was unlined. Her eyes were a striking pale blue. The old man had walked with a limp, constantly assisted by his grandson. He looked around him with an air of distaste through his eyeglasses.

* * *

The island loomed up silently through the mist. A rugged, rocky shore greeted them. The boatman cut the engine and motioned for them to step onto the first of a series of large rocks which formed the crude pier. Rotting stakes stuck out of the water where parts of the wooden pier had rotted off. The priest led the way while the others carefully followed. Their boatman clearly had no intention of lingering. He cast off as soon as the last of his passengers disembarked.

"The road to Vahalla is paved with bones…" Ryu whispered when he reached the shore and almost stepped on a human skull. More bones, apparently human littered the rocky shore.

"Wah! Get it off! Get it off!" Kyu had unerringly stepped into an upturned human skull and was hopping about trying to dislodge it from his foot. Fighting the urge to shudder, Megumi went to his aid.

"A homecoming," the priest whispered, making the sign of the cross. A short distance from the pier, a young girl was wading in the rock pools as a man watched on. "The one-armed man from the hospital," Megumi tugged on Kyu's sleeve. The one-armed man spoke kindly to the girl. "Eva, come on in before you get a cold." The girl nodded and ran to him.

"They're here," she said as she trotted by the man's side like a little brown terrier. She wore a brown fur coat, possibly otter fur, calf-high boots and a Russian-styled fur hat. Her legs were bare below her thigh-length coat. Erik gave an audible gasp and went pale.

Another man stood up from shadows cast by the cliffs. The three Class Q members gasped in surprise. The man was their one-time instructor, Hougou.

"Hougou-sensei!" Kyu waved to his instructor. To their surprise, Hougou did not return Kyu's greeting or give any sign of recognition. Without a word, he gestured for them to follow him up a crude path cut into the cliffs. It would be a perilous climb up the steep narrow steps.

"What's up with him?" Kyu whispered to Megumi. "Kyu, watch your step!" Megumi yelled out a warning too late. Kyu slipped on the mossy rocks. "Wah!" Kyu thought for sure that he was going to die, smashed on the rocks below. A strong hand seized the back of his jacket and lifted him back to the safety of the path. It was Hougou. "Thanks…" Kyu whimpered. His knees were still shaky. Hougou only gave a grunt and continued leading the procession, occasionally stopping for stragglers.

"What's with him?" Kyu asked. Kyu and Megumi were directly behind their guide. The young mother and priest followed them. Ryu and fallen behind with Erik and his companions. The young lady had hitched her flowing skirts about her waist, making her look more like a fish-wife than a lady. The servant moved with amazing agility despite holding two heavy luggage bags. The old man and his grandson struggled behind them, panting and complaining bitterly. The one-armed man and the fur-coated girl brought up the rear. The child occasionally scampered off the path into the undergrowth, risking a fall to the rocks below.

* * *

It was almost an hour before the path leveled out and they saw the large mansion looming through the mist. "Vahalla Manor," Hougou finally broke his silence. "This way please. Master Vladimir and the others are waiting."

The large wolfhounds at the entrance leapt to their feet growling at their approach. A series of shrill whistles from somewhere in the dark manor sent them scattering. Hougou escorted them to the front door where a liveried young man welcomed them with a bow. Hougou took their coats and luggage from them, curtly assuring them that their rooms will soon be allocated by the housekeeper and their belongings left in their rooms. He did not escort them further.

The young butler showed them through opulent corridors to a large parlour where a fire blazed in the hearth. The other guests were lounging in armchairs and on divans scattered under the gazes of paintings from the Renaissance. Kyu's eyes were bugging like a frog's. Never had he been confronted with such wealth. "Kyu," Megumi whispered. "Those paintings, I think those were stolen from the Lourve eight years ago."

"They might be prints…" Ryu suggested, even though he suspected that they were indeed stolen goods. He watched the young girl sit down on a tiger-skin rug before the fire, warming her toes. Apart from the paintings, hunting trophies decorated the walls. Old-fashioned rifles and other weapons glinted ominously in the firelight. The entire décor reeked of colonial opulence.

Erik looked on cautiously. Everything warned his senses to flee, but he had given his word to Lady Ravenhall. His friends' presence was an unexpected complication as was the others… Lady Ravenhall strode up to a large armchair and held out her gloved hand. The armchair's occupant, a Caucasian teenager with dirty blond hair, took it in his and planted a chaste kiss on the back of the glove.

"Lady Jezebella-Donna Ravenhall, you are as lovely as ever," he greeted her with a smile. "Vladimir Alexeivitch," Lady Ravenhall dropped a curtsy. "Mariko, more tea!" Vladimir called out as rang a small silver bell. A demure woman in a maid's uniform walked over to the samovar in the room and dispensed cups of steamy Russian black tea with fruit jam. Vladimir stood up from his armchair, dislodging the wolfhound at his feet. The master of the manor was a slight-built youth with an aristocratic bearing. Ryu judged his age was about the same as theirs.

"Mariko, Tetsuya, you are dismissed," Vladimir called out. Both the butler and the maidservant bowed and left silently through the door. "Now, all the guests are present. I believe a round of introductions is in order. I am Vladimir, your host and master of Vahalla Manor. Welcome, all, to Wolf Island. The mainlanders also call this isle the Death Island..."

**Author's Notes:**

Stranded on an island. Why is Hougou acting weird? And who exactly is Vladimir and Lady Ravenhall?

Samovar - a large pot used for boiling tea, commonly used in Russia, Central Asia and East Europe.


	49. Wolf Island

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**48. Wolf Island **

"I'm Jezebella-Donna Ravenhall, Lady of Ravenheath, England," the raven-haired girl introduced herself and her companions. "My butler, Carlos and my friend, Erik Thorsen, a diplomat's nephew."

"Elizabeth Holmes, mystery novel authoress," a bespectacled woman with grey-streaked hair looked up from her book. Her belly protruded prominently against her flora-print maternity dress. "Yanagisawa Ichiro, artist," the man seated next to her said. He wore the traditional Japanese robes which seemed oddly out of place in the Western-style surroundings. "Count Franz Montague," a middle-aged man smoking a pipe introduced himself. "My wife, Ingrid." The blond next to him ignored the others. She was young and looked profoundly sad.

"Ekaterina Solvakov," a stern-looking woman with a prominent scar on her cheek said. "Owner of Ukrainian Steel industries." She cast a glance at Carlos the butler and smiled.

"Saito Genrou, doctor," an old Japanese man in a white coat by the bookcase. "Yamazaki Naito, lawyer," a young man by the samovar said.

"Doug McKenzie, retired soldier," a man with salt-pepper hair and a red face drawled. "Cleopatra," the exotic-looking young woman next to him said in a bored tone.

"Frank Xavier, adventurer," the one-armed man with the eye-patch said. "My daughter, Evangeline." The little girl on the tiger skin looked up at her father's words.

"Karl Wolff, my great-grandfather Maximilian Wolff. I am secretary to the Argentine embassy to Japan," the younger man of the grandfather-grandson pair introduced themselves.

"Effette de Calais, widow of Count Michel de Calais, and my little one, Natalie," the young mother looked up from nursing her infant. "Father Mikhail Pushkin, priest," the priest said. "I would greatly appreciate it if you refrain from intruding on Madame de Calais in her hour of need."

"How odd it is that Madame de Calais had her infant two years after her husband's suicide…" Cleopatra drawled. "So who's the child's father?"

"Michel, my husband," Effette glared defiantly at the dark-haired, olive-skinned female. "Michel made a deposit at the sperm bank before undergoing treatment for his cancer and I made a withdrawal after you drove him to his death. My child will inherit what should be Michel's!" The priest placed a restraining hand on Effette's elbow.

"Amakusa Ryu," Ryu introduced himself. "And my friends, Minami Megumi and Renjou Kyu," he was cut off by the host. "Our special guest," Vladimir shouted. "The sole direct great-grandson of Kuzuryu. Amakusa, we welcome you warmly into our circle." He patted Ryu on the back. The audience clapped politely, but not enthusiastically. "For a week, enjoy the hospitality of my island as we celebrate a genius' greatest works," Vladimir announced. "Tell me, Amakusa, do you play the violin?" Ryu nodded.

Vladimir snapped open a violin case which was lying on the table and passed the violin to Ryu. Ryu noted that instrument had been crafted from a single block of wood. The craftsmanship was exquisite.

"The Golden Circle is a gathering of great minds in science, politics, music and the arts," Vladimir continued. "Most of our members are musicians of some kind. Kuzuryu himself was no exception. It was said that the genius himself sat at this very piano and composed his work," Vladimir patted a large grand piano in the huge room. The class Q students noticed a battered tin harmonica placed on the piano-top. Megumi recognized it as the same one belonging to the late Ryunosuke.

"Shall we, Amakusa? The Ninth Symphony shouldn't be too difficult for you…" the host's grey eyes flashed a challenge. He selected a violin for himself. "Anyone else?" he called out. "There are instruments available."

"Carlos! My violin!" Lady Jezebella demanded. Her servant immediately presented her with the violin which he had kept with them. Evangeline stepped forward with a violin. Ekaterina selected a cello. Ingrid sat down hesitantly at the piano.

The strains of music soon filled the cavernous room. Megumi and Kyu could only listen spellbound by the music. Not a single note was out of place despite not having a c

* * *

onductor, but Ryu sensed the tension in their playing. What should be a joyful melody seemed to be stifled, almost melancholy. The wolfhound at Vladimir's feet let out a mournful howl.

The old woman known as the Duchess glanced up from the dog-eared Psalter in her hands when her visitor entered. Her wolfhound licked his hand in welcome. "They are here, aren't they?" she enquired. "Yes, little mother," the man replied. "The master's chessboard is set."

"Well, let us hope he is not another pawn in someone else's game," she replied. "There will be death on this island. I have seen so much death that I am nigh sick of it. Tell me, do you have any dreams recently about Mariko?" she asked with a twinkle in her eye. The man immediately blushed red. "Well, I, er…"

"She is a good girl. Twenty-five, she could have stayed on the mainland but she returned. Tatsumi, don't let this chance go, understand?" the old woman chortled.

"Little mother, there was a child who greeted me today at the beach…"

"Forget him. It is not time for you to remember…"

"Yes," Hougou's eyes went blank and he shuffled out. The old woman turned her attention to the shrine in her cottage. "Most sainted Father in Heaven, most holy Mother. Please protect us from evil," she murmured in Russian as she knelt. The painted saints appeared to waver in the unsteady candlelight.

* * *

The light lunch of dumplings and borsch which followed was a stilted affair. Sitting at the grand dining table, Megumi and Kyu looked absolutely lost, overwhelmed by the sheer grandeur of their surroundings and the variety of languages spoken. Even now, snatches of German, French, Russian and English were heard more often than Japanese. The Montagues were quarrelling in German. The quarrel ended with Ingrid leaving her seat before dessert. "She's mad at him because he's sleeping with their 15-year-old maidservant," Lady Ravenhall whispered. "Considering he married her when she was 16…" Jezebella shrugged prettily and returned to her seat. The lady of Ravenheath admitted herself to be fluent in seven languages. Vladimir and Ekaterina were chatting politely in Russian. Effette was discussing something with the priest in French.

"Which spoon do I use?" Kyu asked Megumi, confused by the spread of cutlery before him. "The small one for dessert…" Megumi suggested. She had seen the Japanese artist use that spoon for his dessert.

"Kyu, earlier, I saw Ryunosuke's harmonica on the piano. Pluto has agents here…" Megumi whispered. Her memory was working hard, trying to capture any clue or sign of danger. Kyu appeared annoyingly oblivious. "This cake is yummy!" he licked his spoon.

"I never expected Kuzuryu's great-grandson to be such a fine-looking man," the Argentinean secretary Karl Wolff placed a hand on Ryu's shoulder. Ryu was sitting next to him and his grandfather. The older Wolff appeared to have dozed off and was drooling onto his plate. "I suppose you must be a hit with the girls in school."

"Well, not really…" Ryu mumbled. _Was it his imagination or was that hand moving down his back? _

"How old are you, 15? 16?" the man laughed. Thankfully, he drew that hand back. "A broken nose not enough for you?" Erik called out from his seat opposite where he had been observing their conversation. "Amakusa, hve you tried the crème bleure with a pinch of pepper?" Erik wrapped a napkin around the pepper grinder and rolled it across the tabletop to Ryu. Ryu unrolled the napkin. _Beware Wolff._ Erik had scrawled on the napkin with chocolate sauce. _If needed, use force._ Ryu glanced at Erik, only to find him engrossed in conversation with young Evangeline. The girl had taken a small pistol from one of the displays and was apparently discussing the weapon with Erik.

"Up to your old tricks again, Karl?" Ekaterina laughed and said in accented English. "Do make sure it is consensual this time…" Karl shouted something in German which could have been a curse.

* * *

Mariko the housekeeper showed them to their rooms after lunch. Ryu was not too surprised to find that he and Kyu had been assigned to the same room. It was large room, graced by a chandelier and pastoral-themed paintings. He was a bit perturbed when they discovered they only had one large four-poster bed in the room. "Ryu, you don't mind sharing the bed, do you?" Kyu asked. "You wouldn't hog all the sheets…" Ryu shook his head. He unpacked his knapsack. His clothes appeared drab compared to those of the other guests. He was surprised to open their closet and find it filled with clothes from a bygone era, including several military dress uniforms.

"Look at the view!" Kyu announced as he stood on the balcony overlooking the winter sea. Icy winds whipped in through the open French windows.

A tapping sounded at the door. "Megu?" Their classmate was standing outside. "I'm alone in my room and I guess I got spooked…" she explained sheepishly. "Ryu, there is something in my room you should see…"

Megumi's room was as large as the boys'. However, instead of pastoral scenes, her walls were decorated with portraits. "It feels as though I'm being watched," Megumi said. The largest portrait was that of Kuzuryu himself and a young boy, whom Ryu recognized. "Grandfather," Ryu muttered. His eyes scanned the rest of the portraits. Most of them depicted lone Caucasians in formal wear or military wear. One caught his eye. It was the only other family portrait in the room. It showed an older couple, accompanied by four younger girls and a little boy.

"Hey, you guys wanna take a guided tour of the place? Jezebella is feeling charitable today," Erik strolled in through the open door. "Whoa, there's that family resemblance…" he saw Kuzuryu's portrait and Ryu. "Amakusa, would you and your friends like to see the greenhouse roses? Vladimir told me the Black Pearls are in bloom… you know those deep red roses…" Jezebella walked in unannounced. Her attendant hovered behind her. "I also want to extract some alkaloids…"

"Alkaloids?" Ryu blinked.

"Oh, Lady Ravenhall is also known as Lady Poison. Her hobby is collecting and studying poisons of all types. It's a family tradition of sorts for the Ravenhalls," Erik shrugged. "Her late father was an expert in Amazonian serpents and frogs…"

"He taught me how to milk snakes for their venom when I was seven and coax venom from a dart frog. My poor mother was a botanist and she always expected him to get killed by a snake before she got killed in a train wreck. My father's dead. Murdered," Jezebella shrugged. "Of course they can't prove it."

"I'm sorry…"

"It happened so long ago. I'm seventeen and I've coped well alone." She toyed with the ornate ring on her finger. The ring was a signet ring, capped with the coat of arms of her household.

"What happened?" Ryu asked. "Were the circumstances suspicious? Was it snakebite?" he stole a glance at her. Jezebella was beautiful and that beauty hinted at danger. _Femme fatale…_ Proud brows arched over violet orbs which swirled with dark passions. Her chin was set in a way that reinforced the idea of a strong and determined personality.

"He got tossed from his horse during a polo match and trampled. Sports can be so dangerous but I'm certain it was no accident." Her voice changed suddenly to ice. For a chilling moment Ryu thought he saw his cousin Risa in the violet-eyed noblewoman.

**Author's Notes: **

Lady Ravenhall is a bit like Count Cain from _Count Cain_ in her hobby. Somehow, I tend to associate poison with being a feminine weapon.

Ryu is facing some attraction issues here.


	50. Lady Poison

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**49. Lady Poison**

"Lady Ravenhall, why are you doing this for us?" Ryu asked as they stood in the greenhouse. Normally, it would have been the host or his servants who would show his guests around. The library was immensely large and decorated with antiques from various parts of the world. The Russian-styled chapel was decked out with small bronze discs depicting the martyrdom of saints. The baths were done in the Turkish style and fed with spring water from the island's hot spring. She had conducted the tour in English, giving special attention to Ryu. Erik was left with translating for Kyu and Megumi's benefit.

"Please, call me Jez or Jezebel. I requested this of Vladimir. I am a spoiled brat. I get what I want…" Jezebella laughed. "It so happens I want to know you better…"

Although a light snow was falling outside, the interior of the greenhouse was warm. They were alone. Kyu and Megumi were by the orange trees, admiring the pretty little fruits. "Think they are real?" Kyu asked. "Probably, the climate in here is milder than outside," Megumi said. "Maybe you could try one," she teased.

Erik was engrossed staring out through the glass at a snow-dusted garden. Ryu could make out the Xavier father and daughter engaged in a game which resembled hockey in the garden. Carlos the butler stood like a silent sentinel at the entrance. Jez clipped a leave with her gardening shears and placed it into her basket.

"Foxglove…" she explained. "A folk remedy in mild doses but toxic nonetheless."

"Who exactly are you?" Ryu asked. A shout drew his attention.

"Hey, Ryu, you could really eat these oranges!" Kyu waved, his mouth stuffed with oranges. Megumi swatted him good-naturedly. "At least he didn't sample the holly berries," Jez added tartly. "As to your question, Amakusa Ryu, I am Jezebella-Donna Ravenhall, Lady of Ravenheath and the last in the Ravenhall lineage. My ancestors have been fascinated with poison in its various forms and I have inherited their passion for this subject. I do confess that I supply specimens to some of my acquaintances on occasion."

"Do your acquaintances include Risa Tatiana?" Ryu asked. He knew instinctively he was speaking to Pluto's source for poisons. Jez let out a musical laugh and planted a kiss on Ryu's cheek before he could react. She whispered into his ear.

"Risa is one of my closest friends. We have a rare understanding. You, as Pluto's one-time heir, should be aware of what it means." Violet eyes faced the blue-haired detective. "It is not just for your genius ancestor but for your late grandfather that you were invited here," she strolled up to a nearby rose bush and clipped a single rose from it. "All of us here are linked by darkness. Look at the Xaviers. He calls himself an adventurer but he is a former mercenary and current arms-dealer." She nodded towards the father and daughter gambolling in the new snow.

"I can tell you more about our guests… Senior Wolff is of the SS and ran death camps in Poland during the war. He fled to Argentine when the Reich fell. Junior Wolff has an unfortunate for knocking up underage boys and a tendency to claim diplomatic immunity when things get out of hand. Of course, Senior Wolff will probably kill him for being gay," Jez giggled. "Vladimir's family traded in stolen artworks. Ekaterina's of the Russian mafia and specializes in supplying women and children for the underground sex industry…"

"What is your purpose is sharing this with me?" Ryu asked.

"So that someone will know. _Violets are blue, roses are red. Remember me when I am dead._ We are not saints. Many of us here are have little qualms about murder. Maybe I will be dead before long, like my father," Jez sighed and dropped the rose into her basket. "I believe my father was murdered because he wanted the Circle to return what we have stolen."

"What has the Circle stolen?" Ryu asked quietly. Close up, he was struck by how violet her eyes were and how small her waist was. "Artworks, jewels, relics…" her reply was guarded.

"Hey, Erik, what are you looking at?" Kyu walked over to where Erik had his palms and nose pressed against the glass. When he saw the scene in the garden, Kyu said "Thinking of your parents and missing sister?" Erik shook his head.

"I've found her. Ryunosuke told me. Both my sister and my biological father," Erik pulled away from the glass reluctantly. "What do you mean?" Megumi asked. Erik did not reply.

A movement by the entrance caught his eye. Carlos and Ekaterina were in a passionate embrace. "Well, well, check that one out," he nudged both Megumi and Kyu. "Lady Ravenhall will definitely kill him if she finds out," Erik muttered under his breath. "She calls him her loyal hunting dog." The amorous pair ducked behind an overgrown rose trellis.

* * *

If Jezebella notice the absence of her servant, she did not mention it but continued on her tour after setting aside her basket of cuttings in her room. Ryu became painfully aware of the way Jezebella's hips swayed ever so slightly as she walked ahead of them.

The garden was cold and bare. Classical-styled statutes stood under a light dusting of snow. "Justice," Ryu identified one of them. The blindfold over her eyes and scales in her hand were unmistakable. "Nope," their guide corrected. "She's Ma'at, the ancient Egyptian goddess of Truth. In the afterlife, the hearts of the dead are weighed against her feather of truth. I don't understand why Vladimir's grandmother had her eyes blindfolded when she ordered this." Jezebella brushed aside the snow in the scales to reveal the likeness of a feather and a human heart.

"Blindfolded truth so she does not see," Erik remarked. "Milady, it is a dangerous circle you move in."

"This is the bunker. Vladimir keeps it locked most of the time, but he gave me the key," Jezebella unlocked the metal door of a concrete outhouse. The air inside smelled musty as they worked their way down a flight of stairs. The minute she flicked on the lights, gasps of horror came from the others. "This island was a prison camp during the war where prisoners were subjected to experiments for the purpose of germ warfare," their guide announced calmly.

Six mummified bodies were seated around a sturdy table. The rags on the bodies suggested military uniforms. A seventh was sprawled on the floor, a samurai sword sticking out of its ribs. An eighth was in a corner, apparently decapitated. The bunker bore the militaristic Japanese flag of World War II as well as the banners of the Nazi swastika and eagle. Megumi buried her face into Kyu's shoulder with a shudder. Kyu watched, both fascinated and horrified. Ryu nodded the clear gunshot to the temples of some of the seated mummies and the discarded firearms on the table and floor. Erik let out a low whistle.

"I guess someone has been here after the war…" he bent over the headless mummy. "This one appears to be wearing a digital watch. It's also not so dried out as the others. Strange, where's the skull?"

"Erik, I did not hire you to poke in old bones," Jezebella scolded. "Yes, ma'am," the Norwegian left the corpse alone. "Shall we return to the garden?" Jezebella smiled sweetly as she dangled the key to the bunker.

* * *

When they were returning to the mansion, they came across an ancient woman sitting stoically on a bench in the light snow. Several large wolfhounds sat at her booted feet. At first, Ryu thought she was another statute. Then to his surprise, she turned her head to look directly at him. A look of surprise came over her aged face as she rose to her feet and approached him.

"Takumi, is that you?" her Japanese was accented but fluent. When she was a foot from him, she stopped, as if realizing her mistake.

"Alika Nikolai," Ravenhall greeted the old woman with a polite nod. "If you want to know more about this island, she is the one to go to." A round of introductions was made. The old woman took her leave and walked off with her dogs.

"She looks very old," Megumi whispered to Kyu, who nodded in return. "She mistook Ryu for his great-grandfather. Maybe she knew Kuzuryu. She probably lived through the war…"

"There's still the dungeon-room and the war room. The dungeon room contains actual instruments of torture and execution. And the war room has paintings depicting battle scenes…" the lady continued. "Vlad's such a dear, giving us access to his most extensive and priceless collections…"

"Master Vladimir is awfully young…" Ryu said. "Are his parents around?"

"He is sixteen and an orphan. He is under the guardianship of his uncle, Gerard von Holten, head of Bifrost International. However, his uncle is eccentric. He and his wife have been living in seclusion somewhere, relaying instructions via email…" Jezebella replied. "Vlad has health issues and hasn't been off this island since he was born… Most of the day-to-day running of the island is done by Vladimir for the manor and the village is run by little mother Alika Nikola."

"There is a village?"

"Yes, on the other side of the island. About twenty-old folks, mostly descendants of the original 19th century Russian immigrants and the prisoners-of-war who survived and stayed behind. If you are game, we can walk there. It'll be a tough hike though."

**Author's Notes: **

Ryu and Jezebella are getting along fine, aren't they? Kyu and Megumi are taking a back seat for now. Erik is hiding a secret.

The Egyptian goddess Ma'at and afterlife thing is true. Ancient Egyptians were mummified with their hearts left inside their body while other organs are removed and either disposed of or mummified separately. In the afterlife, a person will be judged by having his heart weighed by Anubis (Egyptian God of Death) on the scales of Ma'at the Goddess of Truth.


	51. Masquerade

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**50. Masquerade**

Jezebella entered the war-room to find Ryoma lounging on the chaise lounge under the oil painting titled _Meeting the Envoy._ The scene depicted was the meeting of Prince Vlad of Romania with the envoys of the Turkish Empire. The prince sat at a grand table on which a feast has been laid. Around the table were tall sharpened stakes on which hapless victims writhed in their death throes, earning the warrior prince the nickname of Vlad the Impaler or Dracula.

"Your countryman, Bram Stoker, got it wrong. In the old Romania dialect, Dracul refers to the dragon, Vlad's father was a knight of the Order of the Dragon. Dracula is the son of the dragon," Ryoma said slowly as if lecturing a student. His hands toyed with Ryunosuke's battered harmonica, purloined from the dead boy's coffin. "A mighty warrior, wouldn't you agree, milady? Even to this day, many in Romania hail him as a folk hero."

"You are mistaken. Stoker was Irish. My father is of solid English stock and my mother Italian. My grandmother was a Romanian gypsy. She told me many terrible tales about Prince Vlad. They say he had his own brother murdered…" Jezebella sat down demurely on a cushioned divan. "Tell me, why is there another skeleton in the bunker?"

Ryoma did not reply but waved his hand languidly. A silent grey-haired servant emerged from the shadows bearing a covered silver platter. "A gift, milady," Ryoma lifted the cover to reveal a mummified head sitting on the silver platter. Jezebella sucked in her breath sharply at the sight. "Does it please you?" Ryoma laughed. "In Biblical times, Salome asked for the head of John the Baptist in exchange for dancing the Dance of the Seven Veils. What will you give me in exchange for this?"

"Methinks you are too kind," Jezebella sniffed. She shuddered when Ryoma took her hand in his. "My lady, re-consider. We…" he lifted her hand to his lips but she snatched it away.

"Don't mock me. You want me only for how I resemble her," Jezebella left in a huff.

"My lady, where have you been?" her flustered manservant asked when she ran into him in the corridor outside. She dealt him a stinging slap. "The question, Carlos, is where have_ you_ been?"

* * *

Inside the war-room, Lady Hel laughed softly as she discarded her disguise, tossing the wig into the fire. It was sheer luck Jezebella had not recognized her. Fenrir poked at the fire. "Sister, Lady Ravenhall's interest in Amakusa could be dangerous. Perhaps we should act…."

"Leave her be. When Ryu sees her for what she is…" Hel shrugged. She pounded her shoulders, feeling the ache caused by her condition. Fenir was behind her, massaging her sore shoulders, a rare show of concern on his part. "Tell me, what do you intend to do with Kerberos?"

"Perhaps I should marry him," Hel rubbed her belly. "Ouch!" Fenrir's fingers dug viciously into her shoulders. "I thought you only wanted his genes for your baby…" Fenrir growled and left her alone with her thoughts.

* * *

"Fancy dress? We have to wear these dorky clothes for dinner?" Kyu complained as he inspected the outfit Megumi had selected for him from the collection in the boys' closet. It was an 18th century outfit consisting of a lace-trimmed frock coat, cravat, knee breeches and stockings. The housekeeper had assured them that they were welcome to use the costumes since none of them had brought any suitable clothes for the fancy dress dinner.

"Come on, you look, well…" Truth be told, Kyu looked like some footman. Megumi inspected her own reflection in the mirror. The empire cut dress flattered her figure, even though the collar was cut a little too low to contain her bosom adequately. "You could use a shawl…" the helpful Mariko suggested and held up a piece of sheer muslin. Megumi shook her head and pulled on the silken gloves which came all the way to her elbows. A pearl choker and satin fan would complete her ensemble.

"Mariko, how long have you been working here?" she asked.

"Since after high school. My mother was born and raised here. We came back after my father died. My grandfather was American, I think…" Mariko hesitated. "My, you look lovely in that, Miss Minami."

Kyu and Megumi exchanged glances. Mariko was chatty but reluctant to speak of her family. Even when she did, it was in a general way, as if she was speaking of someone else's family. They had observed the same thing with Tetsuya the butler earlier. Kyu allowed himself an extra peek at Megumi's bosom as she fastened the pearl choker round her neck.

"How do I look?" Ryu emerged from the bathroom wearing a suit which looked like it came straight from the highest social circles of 19th century Europe. "Like a young gentleman!" Mariko clapped her hands in approval. "One last touch…" Ryu allowed her to clip a golden watch-chain to his vest. She dropped the watch into the vest pocket.

"You guys ready?" A Viking-helmeted Erik called out from the open door. "I'm going barbarian and no one's going force me into a tux!" The fur tunic on Erik looked as if he had just snatched it from a taxidermy bear specimen somewhere. He had a Viking shield and an empty scabbard strapped to his back. He oddly kept his modern jeans and sneakers on.

* * *

They encountered the Xaviers on the stair landing. The father wore a pirate captain's outfit, using his eye-patch and beard to maximum dramatic effect. The beard had been dyed black from its original grey. Evangeline was dressed as a cabin boy with her blond locks ruffled up round her angelic face. In the grand banquet hall, the others have gathered. Cleopatra dressed as her Egyptian namesake. The Japanese artist Yanagisawa wore a wandering samurai's robes. The pair were chatting over glasses of red wine.

McKenzie was smoking a pipe and clad in a deerstalker and cape, a clear attempt to mimic Sherlock Holmes. However, his paunch ruined the image of the suave detective. "He should have dressed as Watson," Ekaterina sneered. The Ukrainian was dressed as a Valkrye maiden, the toga dress exposing her slim and well-toned arms.

The Wolffs were clad in Nazi military uniform, a move which drew uneasy looks from many present, least of all Madame de Calais who was dressed in a blue robe and mantle. The effect of the garment and the infant in her arms reminded Ryu of the Madonna and Child painting he had seen in the chapel, except this Madonna was glaring at the Wolffs with enough venom to kill a battalion. The priest hovered nearby, dressed in his dark cassock. The only concession he made to the fancy dress theme was a messy fake beard.

Ryu was surprised to see both the lawyer and the old doctor dressed in white naval uniforms which smacked of Japan's militaristic past. The lawyer even had a samurai sword scabbard at his belt. The Montague couple were dressed dismally in costumes which only emphasised the chasm between them. The Count wore the powdered wig and garments of a French nobleman while his wife had gone Jacobin, wearing a peasant woman's dress and sporting a tri-colour in her bonnet. She clutched a scrap of knitting in her hands.

"Ah, they say that the good fishwives of Paris sat at the foot of the guillotine knitting as they counted the heads of the nobles rolling…" Jezebella was at his side. He did not notice her approach. Jezebella was dressed in what could be taken for a cross between Victorian lady and military chic. The frothy lace at her cuffs and throat smacked of femininity, but the breeches and cavalry riding boots were definitely a masculine touch, as was the sabre in her belt.

The household servants wore their usual clothes, Carlos among them. They moved silently and unobtrusively through the crowd with their drink trays and dishes. Elizabeth Holmes was pale-faced as she fanned herself in a large armchair. The heavy robes of a medieval lady only emphasized her expectant condition. Their host, Vladimir, was dressed as a medieval prince. He drifted through the guests making small talk. Then Ryu saw the woman sitting beside Elizabeth and holding her hand. Alika Nikola.

The old woman was dressed in the style of a lady-in-waiting of the Imperial Russian court. Her long white tresses were plaited into a braid. She murmured soothing words to the authoress. Even in her discreet corner, Alika exuded a regal air which far outshone all those present. Suddenly taking ill, the authoress fled the hall. Master Vladimir ordered a matronly maidservant to see to his guest.

* * *

"Eh, Megu, this is boring…" Kyu stifled a yawn and fidgeted. He wolfed down his food with the appetite of a typical teenager. "Kyu, please, chew with your mouth closed…" Megumi sighed. Her boyfriend was not exactly the type for high class dining. "Want some baked oysters? They are delicious!" Kyu offered her his plate, on which were piled at least twenty oysters. Megumi reluctantly took one. Cleopatra was twittering and pointing at Kyu's faux pas, sharing the joke with the artist. One did not pile one's plate at a society buffet. Kyu compounded his mistake by taking a swig instead of sip of his wine.

Megumi noticed that the young mother was alone. The priest had left to speak with one of the other guests. The baby gurgled contently and reached for her mother's curls. "She's a lovely baby…" Megumi said in English, trying to strike up a conversation with Frenchwoman. "_Merci…_ she takes after her father," Effette replied warily in accented English. The baby's curls were dark, as were her eyes. "I wonder what it is like to be a mother…" Megu wondered as the baby cooed and smiled.

"Aw, Megu. We could have a baby of our own and find out, right?" Kyu chortled and hugged Megu from behind. His hands cupped her bosom. "I deduce you have enough here to feed two…" he hiccupped. "Kyu!" Megumi yelped in alarm as her breasts threatened to spill over the top of her dress. She brushed him off and smacked him on the cheek. "Sorry, Megu…" the blow appeared to have shaken the effects of the wine off Kyu.

Too late, Megu stomped off in a huff. "Go after her," Effette urged Kyu. The young detective nodded and went after his girlfriend.

* * *

"Little mother," Father Mikhail Pushkin knelt before Alika like a courtier before a queen. The old woman regarded him icily. "You had to come dressed as Rasputin," she mused in Russian. Still a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "Back from the dead…"

"Forgive me, little mother… I forget many things after that accident. Only recently did it come back to me … my other self," the priest eased himself into the armchair facing her. His mismatched eyes regarded her like a student regarded his teacher, waiting for judgement.

"We play many roles in God's plan. Does this role suit you? Come read the Psalter to an old woman when you have the time…" Alika invited. "Or the works of Alexander Pushkin."

**Author's Notes:**

The plot thickens… Father Mikhail Pushkin seems to know Alika. And Jezebella seems to be an associate of Pluto.

The references to Vlad the Impaler, Rasputin and the French revolution are kind of sinister, as are the appearances of the Nazi and Japanese military uniforms from the war era.


	52. Old Bones

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**51. Old Bones**

"Attention!" Jezebella clinked her spoon on her wineglass. "I have an announcement to make… on behalf of my father, Lord Lars Spurwell Ravenhall." Everyone froze. All eyes were trained on the teenager. "My father tragically died in a polo accident, as some of the Circle have testified before an inquiry," she paused for dramatic effect, her eyes scanning the room. Erik and her butler stood on either side of her. Erik held out his scabbard in an almost defensive way. "However, I now accuse you liars and murderers." Gasps echoed through the room. Baby Natalie wailed.

"Poor Papa, he didn't suspect that polo game was nothing more than a scheme for murder," Jezebella paused, this time to sip daintily from her wine glass. "You invited him for a friendly match on those rolling fields. You unseated him from his steed. You trampled him with your steeds and smashed his skull with your mallets. He called you friends. Count Montague, did he assist you with your separation from your first wife? Mackenzie, did he not lend you money to invest in the stock markets? Ever the gentleman, my Papa… However, I have Latin and gypsy fire in me from my mother's side. I will avenge my father as I see fit. Eat, drink and make merry, _mon amis_. For after this some of you may be ruined," she held out a small flash drive.

"A copy of the contents of this drive has been sent to various agencies in the world, among them Interpol, CIA and various news networks. Your crimes will be revealed for the world to judge," Jezebella continued. "Do you wish to view what will be splashed over the headlines on your return? Scandals, illegal deals..."

"Ravenhall, do reconsider! You will not only ruin us, but yourself as well," Mackenzie exclaimed. "You are being foolish," Ekaterina did not appear very perturbed. Jezebella shrugged. "The dice have been cast, my friends. If you wish, I have brought along a valise of poisons should any of you wish to take the easy way out. Carlos, I'm sick of this frippery, let us be on our way…" she downed her wine and placed a hand on Erik's elbow. Carlos bowed slightly.

"Bravo, Lady Ravenhall," Vladimir clapped his hands as the trio left. "Nothing like a threat to liven things up."

"Same to you, my brethren in darkness," Jezebella fluttered her eyelashes coquettishly.

"Kyu? Megumi?" Ryu realised his friends have vanished from the grand hall. Jezebella and her entourage were leaving. Ryu wished he had Kazuma and his laptop with them. Jezebella's words smacked of blackmail, except it wasn't blackmail. She had already sent out the information. _What information did she have that could ruin her fellow guests? Right, she mentioned something earlier about illegal arms deals and corruption…_ Ryu needed to speak to Erik Thorsen. The Norwegian boy was clearly in Jezebella's hire. He left the dinner.

* * *

"Sorry, Megu," Kyu apologized once he caught up with Megumi in the vast library. Megumi ignored him and pretended to be browsing the titles on the nearest shelf. There were books in numerous languages on various topics. Absently, she picked a foreign language picture book from the shelf and opened it before realising it was an illustrated copy of the Indian sex manual _The Kama Sutra._ She went beet-red.

"Megumi, what have you got there?" Kyu asked. He peered over her shoulder. His eyes bugged out. "Wow! The position is humanly impossible, isn't it? Let me see… Can a person reach that far back?"

"Quit it, Kyu," Megumi hurriedly replaced the book and selected its neighbour, a Japanese edition of Russian poetry. It seemed to be stuck. She tugged on the book. A low rumble sounded as part of the book shelf swung into the wall to reveal a flight of steep stairs leading down into the gloom. "Wow, a secret passage!" Kyu exclaimed. "Let's go exploring!"

"But it's dark and creepy…" Megumi shuddered. Kyu fished out his pocket flashlight from his DDS handbook. "Come on, Megu. Where's your sense of adventure? Maybe we will find some treasure…" Kyu was already venturing down the stairs. "Judging by the cobwebs, no one has ventured here for years…" Kyu's voice echoed eerily. Megumi followed, carefully lifting her skirts to avoid tripping on them.

The stairs led them to a windowless dungeon. Megumi squeaked when the torch's beam caught a grinning skull. She gripped Kyu's arm. A skeleton hung from rusty chains on the wall. A derelict bassinet sat at its feet. A pile of bones, clearly human, were swept up against the far wall. "Man, this is just like in the bunker. Hold this for a while, please…" he handed the torch to Megumi. "Point it this way…"

He cautiously lifted the dusty rags in the bassinet. An infant rib, a tiny femur told the story. He moved over to the chained skeleton. The rags on the bones were probably a woman's nightgown. A gold chain with a heart-shaped pendant still hung on the discoloured collar bones. They had seen enough. A low rumble caused the hair on the backs of their necks to stand. "Kyu! The bookcase!" Megumi shouted in alarm.

"No!" Kyu dashed up to the library to find the entrance sealed. He frantically felt for some lever or button on this side. There was none. They were trapped.

* * *

Ryu wandered through the corridors, realising he was hopelessly lost. Thankfully, he caught sight of Erik.

"Erik, we need to talk…" Ryu approached the blond. "In the baths, Amakusa. Sounds travel here," Erik warned. He pushed open the door to the baths and a wall of steam hit them. The baths were empty. Erik nonchalantly shed his costume in the changing area and grabbed a pair of towels, handing one to Ryu. Ryu disrobed.

"Careful, Amakusa. The temperature of these baths is high. Careful you don't overheat. I would suggest running out that door into the garden and rolling in the snow if you feel woozy…" Erik lowered himself into the bath. Ryu sat down next to him. "What has Jezebella done?"

"Aside from putting herself up as most likely to be killed tonight? Well, she had me digging out dirt on everyone else. The Wolffs, Montagues, Xaviers, Ekaterina… She didn't tell me which titbits she threw out to the press," Erik patted his brow. "Some real nasty ones. Some of their chickens have already returned to roost before our ladyship got to them. Effette's husband, Michel de Calais, shot himself in a fit of depression. Rumour says it was due to his friend's death in that polo accident on top of his near-bankruptcy. The artist has been blacklisted by the art world after it came out he was passing others' works as his own. Xavier got himself blown up by a mine…"

"What can you tell me of the polo accident?" Ryu eased himself into the steamy water.

"His lordship participated in a friendly polo game that turned deadly. The other players were Michel de Calais, Ekaterina Solvakov, Doug Mackenzie, Karl Wolff, Franz Montague and Cleopatra. Others present in the vicinity were Frank Xavier, Elizabeth Holmes, Effette, Ingrid von Hoff and her late father, Yanagisawa the artist, Max Wolff and the Ravenhall's butler, Carlos. By the way, Ingrid's father died of a stroke when he heard news about his teenaged daughter being bedded by that lecherous count. The official enquiry states that his lordship was thrown from his horse and trampled in the melee. Of course, that didn't quite explain the blunt force trauma to his skull from the mallets," Erik said as he rose from the tub. "I think we better go roll in the snow… Feel a tad woozy…"

The blond dashed out without a stitch on him and dived into a snow bank. Ryu gasped the minute the cold wind hit him. It was too cold. "Isn't there a shower I can cool off at?" He saw to his horror that Erik had chosen to take his naked snow-dive in front of the Xaviers and Ekaterina out on an after-dinner stroll. Father and daughter were watching with a bemused look on their faces. Ekaterina's face remained impassive.

"Try your room!" Erik obliviously rolled in the snow. Evangeline Xavier decided to join in the fun, pelting Erik with snowballs. "How does a bath sound, Eva?" Frank called out. His daughter nodded enthusiastically. "Good idea!" Ekaterina agreed. Ryu hurriedly dried himself off and dressed. Mixed bathing was pushing his limits where he was concerned.

"Hey, Eva, wanna whack me with birch leaves?" Erik had found a couple of birch branches. Eva took the bait, seizing a branch and whacking Erik across the back. Ryu staggered out. He was feeling a bit overheated.

**Author's Notes:**

The Nordic countries have a surprisingly open attitude towards mixed saunas and nudity, especially between friends and family. Their traditional idea of a good time is everyone in the sauna sweating, then whack each other's backs with birch leaves, then rush out to dive in some snow or ice-cold water before repeating the process. Ryu will be a bit awkward having to go naked in front the ladies. Erik has no hang-ups about going Full Monty in front of the others.

Deja vu for Megu and Kyu. Stuck in an underground dungeon again.


	53. Chessboard

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**52. Chessboard**

"On guard!" Jezebella thrust her rapier at her opponent, who deftly parried. She lunged again. This time the blade sliced into her opponent's upper arm, drawing blood. "Tell me, Carlos, what you were doing with that bitch," Jezebella hissed. "Answer me this, you dog!" The clang of rapier on rapier drew Ryu's attention to the conservatory. Peering through the open doorway, he was astounded to see the young noblewoman sparring furiously with her butler. Carlos was stoically and skilfully parrying her often murderous attacks.

"She's a little spitfire, isn't she?" a man's voice said in strangely-accented English. "Such a bloody sport, fencing, but it suits that woman, since she excels at emasculating men."

Ryu turned around to find Karl Wolff standing behind him. The Argentinean smiled and placed a hand on Ryu's shoulder. "Alone? Perhaps you would care to join me for a game of chess. Grandfather's probably asleep now. He did get very upset by the lady's little speech at dinner."

"No thanks…" Ryu murmured. He really ought to look for his friends. "Amakusa, I thought you might be interested in finding out more about that man, your grandfather, Kokuo Hoshihiko, and his place in our little club…" Karl smiled. Ryu gasped in surprise at his words. Master Vladimir had only introduced him as a descendent of Kyuzuryu Takumi.

"You see, we are very much alike, we both live in our grandfathers' shadows…" his words echoed ominously in the hall as he steered Ryu to the next room where a chessboard stood, as if waiting to be played. Ryu settled in an armchair. Karl went for the drinks counter beside the chess table.

"Did you know my grandfather?" Ryu asked. "Not particularly well, he often sent a representative to our rare meetings, a young weasel-faced punk whose name eludes me. More recently a delightful young lady, Risa, I believe her name was…" Karl lifted a wine bottle. "Wine?"

"No, thanks…" Ryu declined. His gaze was drawn to the beautifully craved ebony and ivory chessmen. Karl shrugged. "Coffee, then." He returned with a cup of coffee for his opponent. Ryu did not see him slip a small amount of white powder into the coffee when he mixed in the sugar.

"Your move…" Ryu soon became aware of Kyu's intense blue gaze on him. He hurriedly made a move and soon regretted it when his knight was taken.

"My parents died when I was three. Automobile accident. My grandfather brought me up," Karl sipped leisurely at his wine. "He had a little house up in the country with only a grumpy deaf-mute housekeeper. He liked it that way, no danger of his Nazi past being leaked out to neighbours. He wasn't what you say, ashamed of his past. Rather, he delighted in relating tales of the good old days…"

Ryu fidgeted. "I understand that you were going to tell me more about my grandfather… Did he own this manor before Master Vladimir?" He took a sip of the coffee. It was thick and bitter. He tried to focus on the game but his thoughts were running in circles.

"No, no… This manor was owned by Master Vladimir's family. His uncle is the current owner, but he has been in seclusion for years… If you look to your left, there's a portrait of Master Vladimir's grandmother." Ryu's eyes widened when he realized the woman in the portrait was Grandmother Vera when she was younger. Standing with her was a young man who looked like an older version of Ryunosuke. The painting seemed to waver. Suddenly feeling dizzy, Ryu pitched forward and onto the carpet.

* * *

"Great, just great. We are stuck and no one is around to know we are here…" Kyu had been tapping Morse code for SOS for ages on the back of the bookcase, but apparently the place was soundproof or no one was near enough to hear them.

"I'm scared…" Megumi cautiously sat down on the stairs. She did not want to return to the room where the bones were. Their only hope was that Ryu would notice their absence and figure out how to find and rescue them. None of them had thought to wear their communicators tonight.

"Hey, look on the bright side. It's too cold for snakes!" Kyu placed his jacket over Megumi's bare shoulders. The secret stairwell was cold. "Eek! Spiders!" Megumi brushed the offending creature from her knee. "Kyu, are we going to end up like those bones?"

"Nah, Ryu will definitely find us!" Kyu tried to keep her spirits up. He resumed his tapping on the back of the secret panel. He thought he heard the sound of voices and of footsteps approaching the bookcase. His efforts paid off. There was rumbling noise and light flooded the stairwell.

They were confronted not by Ryu, but by a surprised Father Mikhail. He was holding a number of volumes. In an armchair sat the old woman Alika Nikolai with a wolfhound at her feet.

"Gee, thanks. We thought we were never getting out of there…" Kyu hastily thanked the priest.

"You children better go to bed. This island is dangerous," the old woman warned ominously. "Find your friend and leave." Megumi and Kyu needed no further warning. They almost ran out into the corridor where they almost ran into the mystery authoress Elizabeth Holmes. She smiled weakly at them before hurrying on her way. Kyu and Megumi did not stop until they were safely in Megumi's room.

Once the corridor was quiet, the old woman nodded at the priest. "Go down. See what darkness has overrun this island," the words were delivered in Russian. She lifted a book of Russian poetry and started reciting aloud Pushkin's tragic _Prisoner of the Caucasus_.

"Kyu, the priest. He was holding a number of books…" Megumi started. Kyu nodded. "There was one Kwaidan, Japanese edition, something in Russian and an English edition of Hans Christian's fairy tales," Megumi continued. "So the priest is multi-lingual…" Kyu added. "Not only that," Megumi shook her head. "The old woman. She had a number of books on the table next to her. They include some titles in German, French and Russian. I recall that they were from various shelves. He could be getting books for her… Who exactly is she?"

"Megu, you are right. Could she be related to Master Vladimir? Or this manor? Mariko told us she lived in the village and not in the manor. She knows the layout of the library and the books…" Kyu pondered. He peered at one of the portraits. "Megu! This family portrait… does this young girl look familiar?" Megumi nodded. "But these people should be dead. This is a family portrait of the last royal family of Russia."

* * *

"Ryoma!" Risa almost kicked in her brother's door despite Kerberos' best efforts to dissuade her. She was going to kill Ryoma if he failed to give her an explanation. Ryoma peered up from behind a hardbound copy of Grimm's Fairytales. "What bring you here, sis?" he smirked. Risa was positively livid and gasping so hard she could not get the words out. It was Kerberos who spoke for her.

"Master Fenrir, Lady Hel wishes to know why you put that person up to…"

"Shut up you dog," Ryoma flung his book at Kerberos' head. The young man dodged and the book smacked harmlessly into a heavy drapery. "Relax, sis. The dose I passed to Wolff is not enough to kill him. However, it should be enough to keep Master Wolff entertained and make things extremely uncomfortable for Amakusa," Fenrir smirked. "Master Wolff's tastes changed after the last blond he tried to seduce broke his nose. Also, his last victim's father threatened Master Wolff in no uncertain terms that the next time he tried that, he would get his balls rammed down his throat with a rifle barrel. Since you are here to lecture me, am I right to assume that someone is going to save Amakusa's ass?"

"That has been taken care of, brother. Jez is rather smitten with him," Risa's anger ebbed a little.

"Dammit! What does she see in him?" Ryoma burst out and immediately regretted it as pain stabbed through his chest. "The same thing I see in Kero-kun, I guess. Shall I ring for the doctor?" Risa glided over to the bell rope and tugged. The doctor would be there soon. That taken care of, Kerberos and Risa exited the room.

* * *

Ryu became aware of lying on something soft. His eyes fought to open. Heat was coursing through his body. _Was he awaking from some wet dream? Strange, he couldn't recall what dream it was. _He felt extremely horny. He needed to… He struggled to lift his hand, get to his pants…

"Now, now… that could wait…" a man's voice said. Ryu opened his eyes. He was lying on a bed in a strange room. Karl Wolff was leaning over him, smoothing his hair back from his forehead. "Strange, the drug would knock you out but I guess we would not have that much fun in that case." The coffee, Ryu's mind registered. In normal circumstances, Ryu would have kneed him but he was too drugged to react in that manner.

He did, however, spot a movement behind Karl. There was an ominous click. Jezebella pressed the barrel of the duelling pistol in her hand to the man's head. "Up to your old tricks again, I see. Can't keep your filthy hands off the boys. Wonder what your grandfather will say to that… Erik, shall I remove his left or right lobe?"

"Milady, you are not serious, are you?" Erik called out. "Maybe I am, so get away from him so that we can talk without your brains splattered over the pillows," Jezebella drew back to allow Karl room to move. However, she kept her pistol trained on his chest.

**Author's Notes:**

A duelling pistol? Who is Alika Nikolai? Jezebella is definitely keen to draw blood.


	54. Checkmate

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

A sex scene here. Not too explicit.

**53. Checkmate**

Maximilian Wolff always thought of himself as a soldier. A light sleeper, the tiniest sound was sufficient to rouse him from his slumber. Now, he opened his eyes to hear the creak of a foot on the oak floor. He knew that it was not his grandson. The old man sat up and pulled out the revolver from under his pillow. A dark shadow darted into the room. A vicious grip snapped his wrist and the revolver clattered to the floor. Before he could scream out, a drug-soaked rag pressed over his nose and mouth.

When he came to, he was bound and lying on a metal plate. He was in the manor's kitchen, before the lit oven. He met his assailant's eyes and froze. "Y-you…" Silently the assailant shoved the tray into the oven and locked the door. Muffled screams and pounding sounded over the roar of the oven.

* * *

"Shall we? Pistols at a handkerchief's length," Jezebella loaded and tossed Karl Wolff a pistol. Erik glanced from the drugged Ryu to the English noblewoman. Her eyes had a crazy light in them. "Come on, you can't be serious! That thing's loaded! Hell, they are both loaded!"

The man checked his pistol. At that close distance, neither could miss. Karl swallowed hard. He stood up. Jezebella held out a large man's silk handkerchief by one corner. She held her pistol loosely by her side. "Take the other corner, Wolff."

He gingerly touched the corner of the handkerchief. "Come on, Ravenhall… Surely you can't…."

Jezebella Donna Ravenhall raised her pistol with a swift and graceful motion…

* * *

"Father in Heaven, let thy eternal light shine upon these lost souls…" Father Mikhail Pushkin prayed as he carefully gathered the baby bones from the little bassinet. He had taken the other skeleton from the chains and laid it out on the floor. "Are you praying for me too, son?" the old woman called out from the study above. She went down the steps with a regal air.

"You could have stopped him! Don't these bother you?" the priest marched up the stairs and turned on Alika.

"Not I. They are your children. The fire that burns in you burns in them, as it did in your father and grandfather." Icy blue eyes met odd brown and green. "Bones do not bother me. I was born and raised in a lovely city by the sea, St Petersburg, which is built on bones, just like this island."

"You are a hard taskmaster, little mother."

A gunshot shattered the silence, followed by another. A flicker of fear appeared and disappeared quickly over the old woman's face. The priest steadied her with a gentle hand on her arm. It was so many years ago but the fear lingered. "Rest, little mother. I will go see what that was about."

"Probably Vladimir shooting at rats…" she hesitated. "That child is always shooting at something… Knows how it gets on my nerves…" She closed her eyes. _So much blood._ Hypnosis could not erase that terrible night from her mind. The same nightmares which haunted her baby brother to his deathbed would probably haunt her to hers.

* * *

Karl Wolff howled and clutched at his groin. Blood stained the carpet. "Christ! You shot him in the balls. You really shot him…" An awestruck Erik glanced at the composed young lady. Jezebella's first shot had knocked the pistol out of her opponent's hand, shattering his wrist in the process. The next hit him square in the crotch.

"The next one will be between the eyes," she purred. "Get out of my sight, Wolff. The doctor should be able to patch you up." The wounded man limped out, leaving a blood trail in his wake. "Ravenhall, are you nuts?" Erik scolded. Discarding her spent pistol, Jezebella leaned over Ryu, feeling his brow and checking his pulse. Ryu looked awfully flushed and very aroused. "Do you have something to help him?" Erik asked.

"No, too risky. I can't get a fix on the dosage of the drug, which probably includes an aphrodisiac… There is another way to attend to him…" Her fingers moved deftly at his belt.

"Jez…" Ryu gasped. "Shall I stop, Amakusa?" Jez asked. "No… please…" Ryu rasped.

"Erik, do you mind?" Jezebella paused to glance meaningfully at Erik. The blond got the hint immediately. He beat a hasty retreat and shut the door behind him. Jezebella leaned close to Ryu and kissed his lips. She tasted of strawberries and brandy. He kissed her back eagerly. Her raven tresses brushed against his cheek. They smelled intoxicatingly of roses. "Ryu, we have a slight problem…" she whispered as she swiftly disrobed to her corset. "My poisons-book is missing… Someone took it from my room while we were at dinner."

"What do you have in it?" That was bad news. Ryu fought to keep focused. Her thighs were velvet-soft but firm when she straddled his waist. "Stuff that could knock people out for hours, stuff that could kill…" she reached behind her corset with a sharp dagger in her hand, slicing open the laces that bound it. She was exposed before him, the firelight golden on her skin. All logic and reason fled. All he knew was unbridled lust, which his partner gladly indulged with soft kisses and caresses.

* * *

Frank Xavier touched the stump of his arm. He had lost it to a grenade blast, along with his eye. It still hurt when the weather turned cold and God knew Wolf Island was cold. The pain subsided when he caught sight of his daughter entering their room.

"Ravenhall shot Karl's balls off," Eva whispered gleefully to her father. "I saw him limping off to Dr Saito's." Frank laughed and ruffled his daughter's hair with his only hand. "Brother is not as quick with a gun… he looked kind of squeamish… He is interested in the weapons, but I don't think he'd use one."

"Eva, there are times when you even scare me. If possible, I wish for you not to follow the same path as I. It's a bloody life being a mercenary soldier, girl." _Forever on the edge, forever alert, forever waiting for death to catch up. _The girl nodded and opened the book she had been holding. Master Vladimir had given it to her when she passed him in the hall. It was a 1930's German edition of Grimm's Fairytales, resplendent with Nazi anti-Semitic propaganda. The book was open at an illustration showing a blond Gretel shoving the hook-nosed witch into her own oven. She looked up suddenly.

"Something's burning, father."

"You are dreaming it, girl. Go to bed." The snow was falling outside and Frank Xavier's stump was aching again. Evangeline shut her book and clambered into one of the two camp beds. Their room had a safari theme. Hunting rifles and glass-eyed animals peered down from the walls.

* * *

"Where's Ryu? He ought to be back by now," Kyu ran into the corridor at the sound of footsteps and was surprised to see Erik alone. "Don't wait up. Amakusa's humping Her Ladyship Ravenhall," Erik replied. "WHAT?" Kyu's eyes bugged out. "But they just met… I've known Megu for like two whole years and we have not had sex yet! Megu, let's get started and catch up… Oof!"

A pillow hit Kyu in the face. "Not tonight, Kyu," Megumi shut the door behind her. Lying alone on her bed, she stared at the family portrait that had caught their attention earlier. _The Romanovs… "She looks awfully like Alika Nikolai, doesn't she?"_ Kyu had pointed at one of the grand duchesses. Megumi stared at the portrait, trying to match the features of the young girl with the old woman at dinner. She let her eyes wander over the other portraits, finally resting on a portrait of an older woman. This one was a younger version of Alika Nikolai. She was photographed in front of a gravestone. She glared at the photographer, clearly annoyed at being surprised.

The gravestone had Cyrillic letters on it. More striking was the craving of the double-headed eagle on it, a symbol of Imperial Russia. In the background stood the same church that stood on the cliffs overlooking the bone-littered beach where they had landed. Megumi had read stories but the implications were staggering. _Could Alika Nikolai somehow be linked to a long dead royal household?_ She must speak with Kyu…

"Kyu?" Megumi opened the door. "Knew she would change her mind!" Kyu thumped Erik on the back. "I just won my bet that I get to sleep with you tonight!" Erik grumbled under his breath and started counted out his money. Megumi almost popped a vein. "Sure, I'll have sex with you tonight, in your dreams…"

"Aw, come on, Megu… I do know what to do after watching those X-rated tapes with Kinta. It'll be fun! And all those positions… Maybe we should get that sex manual thing you found in the library…" Kyu chirped eagerly. "Would you like to be top or bottom? Does anyone have a condom?"

"Stay out of my room you hentai…" Megumi slammed the door in his face. Erik was trying hard not to laugh at Kyu's crestfallen look. "Tough luck, Kyu. You owe me 1000 yen."

"Hey, Erik, I was meaning to ask you. Earlier, what do you mean when you said the Xaviers are your father and sister?" Kyu waited. The blond clenched and unclenched his fists, taking a deep breath before continuing.

"My father, Jan Thorsen, was impotent ever since an incident with a land mine. He fires blanks. My ma wanted kids very badly. So he got Frank Xavier, whom he knew from his days in a peacekeeping unit, to donate some sperm since they were physically similar. Eva and I were conceived in a test-tube and implanted into our mother's womb. Well, I was implanted first and Eva was in deep-freeze storage until mother decided she wanted another kid. Pretty screwed up, isn't it? My biological father is an international arms dealer and my baby sis is following him into the trade. No wonder Ryunosuke didn't want me to know at first."

"Will you acknowledge them?"

"Guess not. My pro-world peace uncle will have a fit. Besides, I am not keen on arms-dealing…" Erik gazed out at the falling snow, lost in his thoughts.

**Author's Notes: **

The building of the Russian city of St Petersburg cost many human lives from harsh winters, marsh fever (malaria) and malnutrition. Yet it's one of the most beautiful cities in Russian, enough for it to compete with Moscow as the country's capital throughout its imperial history.

I wrote a Ryu x OC. Hoped it worked. And that missing poison store…. Erik's got what's bugging him off his chest. Kyu wouldn't score with Megumi the way he's going about it.


	55. Opening Salvo

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

Back from Hokkaido.

**54. Opening Salvo**

When Ryu awoke, he was surprised to find himself naked in an unfamiliar bed. "Good morning," Ravenhall had already dressed and was combing her raven tresses as she sat on the edge of the bed. Ryu hurriedly pulled on his briefs. "Jezebella, about last night… I'm sorry…" _Should he be responsible by marrying her? But they had just met…_ The lady tossed her comb at him. An annoyed look was on her face.

"Forget it, or think of it as a one night stand," the lady's reply was curt. "Unless you are interested in turning this into a full affair… Listen, Amakusa. I am not asking you for marriage or anything. You know as well as I do that it will never work out between your detective work and my poisons. I will greatly appreciate it if…" Her words were cut off by a piercing scream. Ryu hurriedly finished dressing. "Come on! It's coming from the kitchen!" Jezebella urged. The screams continued. Ryu followed Jezebella closely as they sprinted down the corridors, encountering various guests similarly roused by the racket.

"What's up?" Erik asked from his doorway. The priest was coming in from the greenhouse with a basket of roses. Madame de Calais was nursing her infant daughter in the hall. Ekaterina stepped out of her room wearing a sheer lace nightgown. Some of the other guests have already gathered at the grisly scene in the kitchen, Megumi and Kyu included. Tetsuya was comforting a hysterical Mariko. Several lumps of bread dough lay on the floor. The lawyer Yamazaki was retching violently into the sink. Little Evangeline was watching in morbid fascination at the baking tray, unless her father gently but firmly turned her away from the grisly sight. An ashen-faced Karla was standing in a corner, hand to her mouth.

On the oversized baking tray was a charred corpse. The stench of roasted flesh filled the kitchen. Hougou Tatsumi stood nearest to the tray, inspecting the corpse. His eyes met Ryu's and those of the Class Q members. "Get everyone out of here, now." The familiar tone was reassuring to Ryu. Tetsuya assisted in showing the gawking onlookers out of the kitchen to the housekeeper's parlour. Kyu helped a shaken Megumi out, just as the last of the curious guests came in.

"A fitting end for a mass murderer…" a sober Effette cradled her gurgling baby as she walked in with Father Mikhail. "Roasted in an oven…" Without a word, the priest removed his silver cross and slipped it over the fragile corpse the best he could. The youngest guest nipped in to snatch a bone fragment from charred hands. As swift as a cobra, the priest seized her by the arm. "Leave it." The child hesitated before she dropped it back onto the tray.

"What is the racket?" a smiling Vladimir strolled into the kitchen. "Who's the stiff?" he pointed idly at the corpse with his walking stick. "We are trying to figure that out, sir…" Tetsuya bowed.

"Mariko, prepare breakfast. We will see who is missing at the table," Vladimir laughed coldly. "Probably Maximilian Wolff," Erik deduced. Gingerly, he brushed away at the charred hand to reveal a signet ring emblazoned with a Nazi swastika. "We have the identity of our victim. I remember his ring from the party. Except… it was on his middle finger, not the ring one."

"Yes," Megumi agreed.

"Prepare breakfast all the same. Dispose those stinking bones." The master of the manor walked out without a second glance. "Ryu, we must talk. Get your friends in the greenhouse after breakfast," Jezebella whispered. Carlos was waiting in the doorway with a dressing gown, which she accepted. The lady and her servant left the grisly scene in the kitchen.

* * *

"Karl Wolff is indisposed," Dr Saito's words were probably the understatement of the year. The deceased's grandson had been notified. He was understandably resting in his room after his encounter with Ravenhall. Dr Saito had carried out a cursory autopsy. Death was intense heat trauma. No other signs of trauma were found. Father Mikhail and Hougou oversaw the removal and storage of the corpse in a root cellar. Kyu's attempts to volunteer their help as DDS students were firmly turned down by Master Vladimir.

Many of the guests were reluctant to touch the cold breakfast rolls served up by the housekeeper despite the fact that they were baked the day before. Cold cheese, ham and omelettes were also served. "We should contact the police," Elizabeth Holmes suggested. "Taken care of," Yamazaki added. "Tanaka here will send out a radio call as soon as he gets the radio fixed…" A burly man cleaning a display sword in the far corner nodded in agreement.

"Tanaka, lock up and disarm all pistols and firearms," Vladimir ordered. "I understand that we had a little incident involving a female guest and a pistol. Don't want anyone else to lose his balls…" he yawned and tossed his roll to a waiting wolfhound. "Testuya, you bring up a tray to our guest Karl Wolff."

* * *

Ravenhall was alone in the greenhouse when Ryu and his friends went there after breakfast. The English noblewoman was sitting on a bench among the roses Ryu recognized as Black Pearls. In the snow outside the greenhouse, Evangeline and Erik were sparring under the watchful eyes, or eye of Frank Xavier. It appeared that the agile and swift-footed girl was besting Erik. The old mercenary was calling out pointers and encouragement to the fighters. The retired soldier Mackenzie was smoking a pipe nearby. Cleopatra was poking ill-temperedly at a snowman. There would be no police. The arms master Tanaka had gone to the radio shack to find their only means of contacting the mainland smashed by an axe. The boat was only coming in a fortnight. Thankfully, all the weapons had been removed and locked up.

"Here's what I know. The poisons in my stolen poison case include some of my family's special blends as well as concentrated garden varieties. A small vial of ether or chloroform, doses of plant alkaloids. However, proper knowledge is needed to administer them. Some poisons were deadly if injected into the bloodstream, but not when swallowed," Jezebella was calm but serious.

"Why do you deal with poisons and carry them around?" Kyu blurted out. "Interest and research. My family has been in this since the Middle Ages," Jezebella shrugged. She faced Ryu squarely. "Amakusa, I swear upon this ring that bears my name that I have nothing to do with this." She tapped her signet ring. Ryu nodded. The last Maximilian Wolff was seen alive was at eleven when the butler brought a gin and tonic and a hot water bottle to his room. This was witnessed by Ekaterina who had a small chat with the butler afterwards. The old man had taken his night cap and retired. The discarded revolver suggested he was surprised in his bed. Scruff marks suggested the victim was dragged to the dumb waiter and lowered to the kitchens. The victim had clearly been incapacitated by this time. The body was discovered at six thirty by Mariko. The victim had been dead for a few hours by then. Ryu turned red at the memory of what he and Ravenhall had been doing at that time. She had a solid alibi.

As if reading his thoughts, she gave him a smile. Ryu swallowed hard. She was wearing a very flattering Victorian gown buttoned up to the neck, but the bodice emphasised the perky swell of the breasts he had so enjoyed… "Hey, Ryu. Thinking of last night?" Kyu teased. Ryu's expression did not go unnoticed.

"You had a client. Someone who needs your poisons," Ryu said. "In the days past, an understanding of poisons is a great aid to a woman," Jezebella said and held up a gloved hand. "I am continuing a tradition. Poisons for use in medicine, cosmetics or darker purposes. Sometimes it was necessary for a woman to preserve one's honour."

"Who is your client?" Megumi asked. There were three of them questioning her but Ravenhall held her own. Jezebella shook her head. "Confidential. Even if I do not provide her aid, she will find her own means… Sometimes, survival will force one's hand."

* * *

It was a sombre procession that made its way to the churchyard. Alika Nikolai led with a storm lantern in hand and her hounds at her feet. Father Mikhail followed with a barrow. The bones were wrapped in linen from the manor. A sturdy villager of mixed Russian and Asian descent had prepared a shallow grave. Born mute eighty years ago, he would hold their secret to the grave, a death which would come to him in the form of a winter cold before the next spring. A crude grave stone had been prepared. The gravedigger had long gone as instructed by the Duchess Alika Nikolai.

It was up to Mikhail Pushkin alone to bury the sorry bones in the frozen earth. He picked up the chisel and chipped at the gravestone. _Gerard von Holten, wife and child._ It was regrettable he never knew his cousin's wife or child, but they deserved a better resting place. "They will end up in the sea like the others," Alika remarked and made her way over to a gravestone that bore Cyrillic words and the imperial symbol of Russia. _Alexei Nikolavitch Romanov._ The gravestone read. She lovingly placed the roses she had brought on the grave. "When I am gone, place me in the earth next to him," Alika said.

"Little Mother…" The snow was starting to fall.

The old woman only continued humming an ancient Russian lullaby as she prayed before the grave. The priest waited until she was done.

"There is a stone plaque and a space in the wall prepared in the church for this child," she pressed a battered harmonica into his hand. "What name do you think this child should have, little mother?" The tears came readily. His godmother Alika had chosen the Russian names of all his children. "The same name as that now borne by his father. Mikhail."

"Damn it, I was a coward. If only…" The old woman took his face in her hands and wiped away his tears.

"Save your regrets, boy. He is with the angels now. I will pray for him." The same as she had prayed for her departed family.

* * *

Somewhere in the light snow, Lady Jezebella Ravenhall lifted her violin to her chin and placed the bow to her strings. Strains of Zigeunerweisen filled the air. A young woman and her infant peered out of a window at the sweet melody. In the manor, Fenrir looked up from his book. The music spoke of freedom and sadness. It reminded him of the deceased Ryunosuke. The harmonica had gone missing after the dinner. Fenrir supposed the curious Evangeline had taken it. It was a mere trinket of no importance except to unsettle Amakusa Ryu. In the next room, the arms master counted the daggers again. Some were missing. He cast a weary eye over his inventory.

Ingrid Montague hated her husband with a passion that had long drowned out any love she once felt for him. Her Germanic stoicism had sustained her thus far but not any more. Divorce was out of the question, not for a couple of their standing. Lady Ravenhall had withdrawn her assistance, citing the unexpected loss of her poison case when she approached her after breakfast. It was no longer important. She had taken a misericorde before the arms masters removed the last of the loose weapons from their rooms.

Misericorde, the dagger of mercy used in the old days to end the lives of those doomed to a lingering death. Better a swift death by a friend's hand than torture at the hands of the enemy. _A quick death._ She had considered throwing herself into the Seine once, many months ago.

"_Do you really wish it to end this way, Ingrid von Helsing?"_ a newly widowed Effette de Calais had stopped her. Effette, blond, fragile-looking but with the blood of Holocaust survivors pulsing through her veins, was the perfect inspiration.

He was sitting in an armchair, back facing the door when she entered. A quick grab and a slash across the throat… She felt the stickiness when she grabbed him. Her husband's head lolled backwards lifelessly. Drawing back her hand, she screamed and dropped the dagger. Her screams drew the attention of Kyu and Megumi, who were in the next room, chatting with Yanagisawa the artist and Elizabeth Holmes.

* * *

"Father, look what I found!" Evangeline lifted her prize from the stone scales of the garden statue of Maat, Egyptian goddess of Truth. Erik gasped at the sight of the bloody red mass of tissue. "A heart, it is still warm…" Frank Xavier took the organ from his daughter. He held it out to Erik. "Detective, I believe we may have a prankster or another murder."

**Author's Notes:**

Another death. We have more hints on Father Pushkin and Alika's backgrounds.


	56. Suspicions

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**55. Suspicions**

Franz Montague was dead. Blood oozed from his gaping mouth and nose. Blood stained the pallid white of his chest and exposed paunch. An incision had been made at his sternum. The elderly Dr Saito prodded the wound with the concentration of a brain surgeon. Ryu and Kyu watched the proceedings alongside Master Vladimir. The young master of the manor seemed to glow with an unbecoming excitement. The wounding of Karl Wolff and the grisly deaths of his guests only appeared to inflame in interest.

"So you are from DDS? That famous detective school? Perhaps you will be able to help us while Tanaka tries to fix the radio. Maybe we could keep the remaining guests alive until the boat comes…" he purred and scratched the ears of his wolfhound.

"The cause of death is removal of the heart. The extent of bleeding suggests that it was still pumping when… This is odd, the stiffness in the extremities is unusual given the time of…" Dr Saito wiped his brow with the back of a gloved hand, accidentally leaving a red streak of blood across it. The doctor appeared shaken, which was expected given the short span of time in which he had been called on to examine two dead bodies.

"You would know that, wouldn't you, sensei? After all, you are an expert on autopsies, back then," Vladimir approached the old man with a clean handkerchief in hand, cleaning his brow. The doctor appeared to flinch at the touch. "Perhaps you would educate these two gentlemen on the intricacies of an autopsy on a live subject…" The doctor turned grey in the face and gasped, clutching at his chest. His knees buckled, prompting both Ryu and Kyu rush forward and support him before he collapsed onto the body.

"Vladimir, that was uncalled for!" Jezebella stepped in from the adjoining room in which the new widow was being consoled by the womenfolk. She was accompanied by Alika Nikolai, the regal de facto village head. The wolfhound at Vladimir's heel growled a warning, then whimpered and stuck its tail between its hind legs when Alika gave it a look that was as sharp as a command. The chastised hound cowered behind a drape.

Alika placed a wrinkled hand gently over Dr Saito's eyes and whispered into his ear. A look of calm washed over his face and his breathing evened out. Ryu felt the old man's pulse resume a steady rhythm. The doctor shrugged off the supporting hands of the two youths and resumed his clinical examination of the body.

"Little Mother you are too old. Leave this to us," Vladimir protested. "So it has come to this, has it, my young master?" the old woman apparently obliged by turning to leave the room.

"If you want to know more about this island's history, Kyuzuryu, drop by at my place for tea," Alika whispered to Ryu. "My door will always be open."

"No defensive wounds. No signs of a struggle," Kyu noted as he looked at the corpse. The wrists were unmarked by signs of any form of restraints. The sheer volume of blood on and around the chair suggested that the murder had occurred there. His eyes focused on a purple bruising on the victim's forearm. "Dr Saito, look!" the DDS student called the doctor's attention to the strange mark. "A point of injection. Perhaps the Count was drugged prior to…"

"Immobilized but conscious," Jezebella cut in. "The unusual stiffness and blue tinge to his hands…" the girl pressed the hand of the corpse as it were a doll. "They would suggest poison, one of my household blends, which was stolen from my room last night…"

"Stolen, Jez? I would believe you have reason to kill the Count and the means," Vladimir placed a hand on the Englishwoman's shoulder. "The pain he suffered as his heart was ripped out is too short to satisfy my desire for vengeance," she removed his hand from her shoulder. "Isn't that so, Carlo?" The long-suffering butler had entered the room silent and unseen by all after Alika's departure. He nodded in agreement. "Carlo, I need my kit to confirm my suspicions my stolen poisons are being used." Carlo glared at Vladimir, who backed off.

"Ryu," Kyu whispered. "His shirt is different from the one he had on at breakfast." The garment had a slight silvery embroidery to the collar, which was absent in the one he now wore. It was hard to say if the rest of the suit had been changed as well, since the Ravenhall butler wore the standard black pants and coat.

* * *

In the adjoining room, Megumi was carrying out the task of affirming the whereabouts of the guests and servants, many of whom were unable to provide an alibi. Karl Wolff was confined to his room thanks to his injury. Tetsuya was with him, changing his dressing when the Count was killed. Apparently getting shot in the region of the groin did little to quench his lecherous ways and Testuya shamefacedly admitted to spending the better part of an hour with the patient at the time of the murders, mostly trying to avoid his advances. Hougou and Mariko were busy with the unenviable task of cleaning out the kitchen oven. Alika and the priest were off on a walk. Jezebella was with the Class Q students in the greenhouse and later playing a violin in the snow as witnessed by many. Effette de Calais had chatted with Elizabeth Holmes, Vladimir and the artist Yanagisawa in the parlour. The authoress had been most interested in learning more of the care of infants since hers was due soon. The Xaviers and Erik were strolling in the garden when they made their grisly discovery. Shortly after, they encountered Mackenzie, who was walking alone.

The armoury master Tanaka claimed he was alone taking inventory and admitted that a fair number of the manor's weapons were missing. Cleopatra claimed she was sleeping off a headache at the time. Ekaterina claimed she was bathing. The lawyer Yamazaki had made a trip to the village to attend to some legal matters. He had just returned. They would need to verify his statement with the villager. Carlo the butler had retreated to his room to change his clothes after a run-in with his temperamental mistress, which ended with a vase of water being splashed over him. He claimed that fearing her wrath, he had remained in his room until the commotion.

The widow Ingrid needed no comforting. Effette, Elizabeth and the priest were there to provide support and comfort, if needed. The others had long retreated to the parlour for morning tea and tarts, not that many of them would be eating. The brandied tea, however, was in high demand. The widow was dry-eyed and showed no signs of denial, grief or shock despite being the one to make the discovery of her husband's corpse. There was also the bloodless dagger which was found on the floor next to her. The dagger bore her prints and no one else's. Was she the murderer, or had she meant to kill him? The strain between the couple was apparent.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Vladimir drawled as he stepped into the room. "Or perhaps I should congratulate you on your gain. Good riddance to Bluebeard." Everyone gasped at the callous remarks, everyone except the widow, who broke out into hysterical laughter.

"My gain. You are right, his death is my gain. That man's a sexual sadist… His vile appetites, his pride… God knows what I have put up with!" she unzipped the back of her dress, turning to expose her lower back. Angry scars criss-crossed her lower back. "There's more further down," she added. "Oh he was sweet enough when he was courting me, but after the honeymoon, he showed me his true colours. He raped and whipped me until I grew too old for his tastes. And he paid for young girls, some no more than children, for his sexual pleasure. Yet, he will never divorce me, He would rather see me dead than leave him. I could never have children, not after he beat me into a miscarriage. That beast murdered our own unborn child. I'd love to cut out his black heart, but someone beat me to it…" Sobs wracked Ingrid.

Elizabeth Holmes gently draped her shawl around the sobbing widow. "Perhaps it is best we leave her to rest…" Master Vladimir nodded. "I will stash the count in the cellar until his widow is well enough to see to the funeral arrangements… Miss Minami, would you care to have a cup of tea?"

"Father?" Ingrid called out to the priest. "Will you give confession?"

"Of course, my child. My door is always open." Father Mikhail hesitantly made the sign of the cross in the air before Ingrid. "Though it has been a long while since I've heard confession."

* * *

"The killer would have to surprise and disable the Count first. Then he would have to slice out his heart and move it to the gardens where Eva found it," Erik massaged his shoulder. "Eva got me good here. Oh, could you pass me some more tarts? I'm a growing boy here." Eva grudgingly passed the plate with three remaining tarts to her brother. Most of the guests and servants have left the room. Only the Xaviers and the DDS students were left with the remains of the morning tea.

"I guess you acknowledged them after all?" Kyu asked. "Well, they acknowledged me," Erik clarified. "Kind of sudden… They told me after I finished sparring with her. My father, Frank Xavier that is, even made me swear an oath to take care of Eva if anything happens to him… Sounds kinda ominous…"

"Don't worry. Nothing will happen to Father. He's tough," Eva insisted and sipped at her tea.

"Was the heart warm when you found it?" Ryu asked. The 12-year-old nodded. "Steamy, sorta like in Syria when Father's men slaughtered a chicken and they gave me the head to play with their dogs." The organ had been stowed in a large pickle jar of brandy and placed in the cellar with the bodies. "Where's Father?" the girl's blue eyes searched the room. Her resemblance to Erik was unmistakable. Frank Xavier had slipped out unnoticed.

**Author's Notes:**

Erik's family issues appear to have worked themselves out. Tension between Alika and Vladimir is reaching a head. Loads of people with no alibi. Loads of dark secrets. Should Ryu take up Alika's offer of afternoon tea? She called him Kyuzuryu instead.


	57. Valkryie

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

The stakes will be upped with more deaths.

**56. Valkryie **

If there was one thing Frank Xavier prized with regards to his life as a mercenary, it was his well-honed gut instinct. It had never failed him, not even when that mine took off his arm. His gut told him the men he had approached could be trusted. Tanaka was definitely ex-military. Hougou was a different type of man, but reliable. Mackenzie was retired US marine, but Frank did not trust him enough. In fact, all those in the circle were untrustworthy. The trio had slipped out by the side door of the manor. Then it was a stroll into the village. The going had been slow due to the slushy snow and the tools they had.

The village was on the far end of the island. Most of the inhabitants were huddled indoors around fires in their ramshackle homes. A decaying fighter plane sticking midway up the cliff face marked where he recalled the cave was in the shadow of the cliffs. The radio was smashed beyond repair and there was no boat expected for two weeks. However, he was not going to wait for some outsider to come rescue him and his daughter while some murderer stalked the manor. There was a launch in that cave, used by the last fisherman in the village. Some repairs might be needed since it was last used two years ago, but he was certain between the three of them they could fix it.

When the cave loomed before them, Frank became aware of a niggling unease. There were fresh prints in the snow. The intruder was either a woman or a man with small feet. The tracks led into and out of the cave. It may have been one of the villagers, seeking driftwood for his fire. Something was amiss. Cautiously, they approached the cave in single file. Hougou stumbled on a half-buried tree root, falling behind. He would catch up later. Frank saw the fishing line glint in the sun a mere second before Tanaka tripped over it.

The resultant explosion of earth and rock roused even the deafest of the villagers from their hearthside.

* * *

Lunch at the manor was rudely interrupted by the arrival of an elderly man from the village. He was admitted by Tetsuya and hastily limped to Alika Nikolai's side, where he exchanged a few words in Russian. The old woman sat at the head of the table, apparently the result of resolving her differences with the young master Vladimir. "Ladies and gentlemen," she announced solemnly in English and Japanese. "There has been a rockslide. Three men are seriously wounded. Medical aid is needed, which unfortunately, we are unable to obtain from the mainland. If anyone has any medical training, please come with me." She pushed aside her soup.

"I'm going!" Kyu declared. The rest of the DDS students nodded in agreement. All have undergone basic first-aid training in DDS. "Tetsuya, Saito?" Alika asked. Both the old doctor and butler also nodded. Father Mikhail exchanged a few words in French with Effette before rising from his seat. "Count me in as well," Mariko the housekeeper said, untying her apron.

"Later, Mariko. We still need someone to clear the table," Vladimir cut in. "Yes, sir," Mariko bowed and resumed her position.

Alika placed a hand on Evangeline's shoulder. "Little one, it is best you come with us." The girl's eyes were dark pools of dread. She nodded silently and slid off her chair. The rest of the guests were apparently oblivious to Alika's appeal. They continued their meal with the exception of Ingrid, who was resting in her room, and Karl Wolff, who was still bedridden.

"Accidents can be such a chore," Cleopatra rolled her eyes and placed a hand on the retired brigadier's elbow. Mackenzie only continued wolfing down his mashed potatoes.

* * *

The accident site was on the beach and the tide was coming in fast. The villagers worked tirelessly, trying to dig out the wounded. All the rescuers had weathered faces and were probably well into their sixties. Some were crippled with missing or wooden limbs and crutches. Still, they persevered. Large Russian wolfhounds, possibly Alika's or the manor's, sniffed at the rubble. Alika exchanged words with one of the rescuers.

The lingering smell of gunpowder hit Ryu. "This was no accident," he whispered. One of the victims was clearly dead, his upper body flattened by a boulder. Megumi recognized the dead man from the Wellington boots as Tanaka the manor's armoury master and the one tasked with repairing the radio.

"There is one dug out and in dire need of treatment. They have placed him in my hut. Hurry," Alika urged them on. "There is little else we can do here. Perhaps you may wish to stay." She placed a hand on Eva's head and pointed in the direction of the rubble. "And someone stay with her…"

"Father!" Evangeline shouted and scampered over the loose rubble. The rescuers paused and debated among themselves. The rubble pile was shifting. It may be too risky to attempt freeing Frank Xavier. He was lying on his back, buried to the chest. A bubble of blood spluttered at his mouth. His eye had a glassy look to it. "Father!" Eva took hold of his hand and pressed it to her cheek. It was so cold. Erik knelt down beside his sister, blinking away tears.

"Have you come for me, my little Valkryie?" the words were more than a whisper. "Father, I'm here too," Erik placed his hand over his sister's smaller one. "Don't die, Father…" Eva pleaded in vain. Ryu looked on. Already, he had found fragments of shrapnel indicative of a bomb.

"Erik, take care of Eva now," Frank's eyes were closing. "There was a boat in the cave, get it if you… can… and leave…"

"Who did this? Was it the killer?" Erik asked. Frank Xavier shook his head slightly. "Beware… Ravenhall's pup… Old sins…." His voice was silenced forever. Eva's wails shook the brooding pine trees. Father Mikhail, who had remained in the background all this while, stepped up to administer the last rites. After he was done, he patted both Erik and Eva on the shoulders. Eva hugged the priest, crying into his cassock.

* * *

In Alika's hut, Hougou Tatsumi was laid out in her spare room, which had been converted into a makeshift surgery. Blood splotched the path all the way up to hut. The operating conditions were primitive but the best the village could offer. Dr Saito doused his scalpel in iodine solution and prepared to operate. His old hands weren't as nimble as they once were. "A collapsed lung. Possible puncture by a broken rib," Tetsuya added as he tried to bind the patient's limbs securely to the bedposts with ropes.

The villagers had offered a bottle of vodka to knock the patient out but it was obvious to both soon-to-be surgeons that the patient was in no state for alcohol. Kyu and Megumi watched warily from outside. Their basic first-aid training did not prepare them for such a situation. A hospital should be needed in such cases. Alika shook her head. "What're they up to?" she pushed her way into the surgery. "He has a fractured shoulder blade and an open fracture in the lower arm and you're making it worse!" she scolded in Japanese.

"Sorry, but he will suffocate if we don't get his lung fixed…" Tetsuya gasped. The old woman shook her head. "Allow me…"

Kyu gasped when he saw what happened next. The old woman stared into Hougou's eyes. "Look at me…" she commanded. Their instructor's struggles slowed and stopped entirely. Hougou was in a state of deep stupor, reminiscent to that Pluto's victims sometimes found themselves in. "He will awake after I call him, so get to work," Alika stepped out.

"That was hypnosis, wasn't it?" Kyu asked. Megumi had wandered over to the small altar where something had caught her attention. Alika nodded. "Something I picked up from my dear departed uncle Boris."

"Miss Nikolai, if I may ask… is your real name Anastasia Romanov?" Megumi asked suddenly. The altar was adorned with a Russian Orthodox icon of the canonized last imperial family, except one of the daughters' faces had been pasted over with tin foil. "I haven't heard that name in a very long time, young lady," Alika lit a candle and placed it on the altar.

"You are alive, but the history books said you died…" Megumi continued. "That is a long story, which I do not have time to tell now," the old woman replied.

"What is your relationship with Pluto?" Kyu asked.

"That was Kyuzuryu's. I taught his son and grandson some of my skills. Then Kokuo took over the organization…" she paused to the sound of someone rapping on her door. "Oh, Mikhail, do come in." she opened the door to the priest.

"Little mother, a drink of brandy for these little ones…" the priest pushed his two charges ahead. Erik and Eva were pale with grief and shock. Ryu closed the door behind them solemnly. His eyes scanned the floor worriedly. Kyu realized that there were splotches of blood from Hougou-sensei on it. The priest nonchalantly took a washcloth from Alika and proceeded to clean the floor.

"Kyu, Megu. The rock-slide was caused by a bomb. Possibly a trip-wire set it off when they were entering the cave. The cave has been sealed off by the rocks," Ryu reported his findings. "Ah, that will be Sergei's launch they were after. Sergei used to fish offshore before that heart of his gave," Alika mused. "Strange thing, no one has been about the cave since Sergei died. They say it is cursed. Wonder who put that idea in their heads…"

* * *

In the manor, Karl Wolff tossed and turned uneasily. He was not enjoying his grandfather's long overdue demise as much as he had thought he would. Possibly because he was in agony. That little English bitch had shot him in the groin, almost. The bullet had ploughed through his upper thigh and nicked his… He sat up painfully. The doctor should be coming with another injection to ease his pain. Someone had entered his room.

"About time…" his words trailed off as the needle found its mark. "Where were…" His tongue became thick. Numbness crept down his limbs. Even breathing was difficult. The thing that struck him was that the doctor who had injected him was not Dr Saito or the manor's butler. His heart raced wildly as he tried to flee. His limbs refused to obey. His grandfather's killer stalked off to get the other things needed.

**Author's Notes:**

More deaths. Another murder is in the works.

Valkryie - a minor war goddess from Norse and Germanic mythology tasked with escorting those who fell in battle into Vahalla (or Paradise) where they will feast, drink and make merry for all eternity.


	58. The Grand Duchess and the Priest

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

I intend to concentrate on this DSQ fic for a while.

I guess the cat's out of the bag regarding Alika Nikolai's real identity. Of course, this is purely fiction. The official and scientific evidence states that Anastasia Romanov and her brother were executed with the rest of the family.

**57. The Grand Duchess and the Priest**

"That was foolish and uncalled for," Lady Hel hissed to Fenrir. Kerberos nodded in agreement. They were alone for now in the parlour of Wolf Manor, but there was no telling when the other guests may chance upon them. Tetsuya, Erik and Evangeline had returned to the manor with the corpse of Frank Xavier. Erik had borrowed a wheelbarrow from the village for that purpose. Tanaka Jun's body could not be dug out safely and the decision was made to bury him where he lay. Father Mikhail and Dr Saito sent word that they would be delayed in the village.

"She's just an old, helpless woman," Fenrir snorted. "The promise made was not to involve her precious villagers, her children… Tanaka is dead now…" Hel gasped as her unborn infants gave her a kick. Twins, the old woman had said with a smile. There hadn't been children born to the island since Vladimir. "It's necessary to prevent anyone from leaving, Sis. Besides, I warned them not to snoop about the cave…" Fenrir gnawed at a fingernail. His heart was starting to act up again. A bad time for it to do so since the doctor was away. "This was your fault, Ryoma!" Hel snapped.

"Don't fret. The old crone can be easily dealt with," Kerberos suggested.

"Will you care to do the honours then?" Ryoma grinned wickedly. "Don't forget, she's the one who taught Grandfather what he knew about hypnosis. Have you ever hypnotized someone so that their heart stops beating? They say she has."

"A senile old woman will not pose any threat," Kerberos insisted. He hated Ryoma's smug look and the way his hand now rested on Hel's shoulder. The gesture was more threatening than reassuring. "Do be careful, Kero-kun," Risa added. She looked awfully pale.

* * *

"He'll live," Alika reassured the DDS students as they crowded round Hougou's bedside. Dr Saito had gone off to a villager's home to treat an infected leg wound. She covered the patient with a spare blanket and whispered something into his ear. Hougou's eyelids slowly opened and he let out a groan. "Renjou? Amakusa? Minami? What are you doing here?" he exclaimed. He tried to sit up but his broken rib and other wounds hurt. The priest, who had been busy stoking the fire, stopped him.

"You narrowly escaped death in a rockslide that killed two men. The doctor's orders are strict bed-rest until your wounds heal," Father Mikhail faced them. The lamps used during the surgery had been extinguished. In the dimly-lit room, the scars on his face were less prominent. The teens noted how familiar his mismatched eyes were. "You look a lot like a friend of ours," Kyu blurted out. "A friend?" Mikhail asked sadly.

"Yes, you have the same eyes as him…" Kyu continued. "Ryunosuke…" The priest stiffened and gasped. He stumbled for the door. "Stay, Alexis," Alika ordered. "You came back here to face the truth you have been running from all these years. If you leave now…"

"I hear you, little mother, and I will heed your advice." The priest pulled up a chair and sat down. "Father Mikhail Pushkin is an alias I have lived under for the last eight years. My real name is Alexis Kokuo. I am also known as Loki the Thief once, but I have long forsaken that name..."

"Amakusa Ryu, you were invited here by Pluto, or what's left of it after Hades' death," Alika announced solemnly. "I will not speak against any of Kyuzuryu's descendents but I can warn you of the danger around us."

"If there is danger, we must contact the police for back-up. Surely there is a way we can…" Hougou had to stop from the pain. Alika shook her head. "There is no landline and the coastline of this island is treacherous. They call this the Island of the Dead for a reason. Officially, all the villagers, like me, do not exist. The men and women you see in the village, many are former prisoners or refugees or the descents of these. Brought here during the war for as subjects for the biological weapons programme, or washed up on these shores fleeing persecution… Recently, we have found it necessary to recruit nee blood from those your society has forgotten or sidelined, like our detective here."

"It appears my decision not to wipe out memories of your past was right," Alika smiled. "When I came here after the war, the survivors were too traumatized to resume the lives they knew before the war. So I wiped out all their memories and replaced them with new ones. Occasionally, new ones will come from the mainland. It makes no difference where they came from. They all became children of this island. I refuse to let the police upset the balance here."

"You mean Mariko, Tetsuya and the others…" Megu started. Alika nodded silently.

"But the murders!" Hougou protested. "The murderer will be dealt with, this I promise you," Alika's voice was cold. "You have my word as the last grand duchess of Russia."

"You mean to carry out your own form of punishment," Ryu said as understanding dawned on him. "You intend to wipe out the murderer's mind through hypnosis." The old woman did not reply to that.

"How did you survive?" Megumi asked. "The accounts…"

"I was lucky, I guess. My Uncle Boris was too late to save my parents or my sisters, but he was just in time to rescue my brother and me. Uncle Boris was a minor noble who had an unseemly interest in hypnosis and mysticism. He offended many in the court and had to leave for the farthest corner of the empire, which happens to be here in those days. He managed to get in just in time to save us, but not Papa and the others. He sent us to safety while he took care of things there so they thought we were dead." The old woman paused to catch her breath. "Whenever the bleeding started, Alexei would suffer terrible pain. When he struggles, the bleeding only became worse. During the long journey here, Uncle Boris taught me how to control Alexei's illness using hypnosis. My poor brother Alexei died of pneumonia, soon after he arrived here. It was also then that I took a solemn vow never to wed, for I did not want a child who would suffer as Alexei did."

"I met Kyuzuryu when he was about fourteen, at the manor where Uncle Boris lived. I had been dead here since my brother died," Alika patted her chest. "He played such a lovely melody on the piano, I thought it was angels playing… He promised me he would play that melody again, but he never did. I left for Germany before the war with Uncle Boris, and returned after the war. Kyuzuryu next came here with his son. That young man visited often, mostly for the sake of Uncle Boris' youngest daughter, Vera. I understood that there was some tension between Kyuzuryu and his son. Whether it arose from his relationship with the boy's mother or his son's relationship with Vera, I can't say."

"My father disappeared soon after the marriage. My mother left for Germany with a family friend whom she later wed. My stepfather was a respectable widower, but my mother did not love him," the priest murmured. "Being childless from his first marriage, he needed an heir to his business, me. But I chose to become a thief, Loki. I met Alika when my mother returned to this island. This place was a refuge for my mother. When my father did show up, let's say she was angry at him for disturbing her peace. Any love which may have been between them was long replaced by bitterness for her."

"You are Risa and Ryunosuke's father," Ryu said quietly. "When I was with Risa years ago, she always wondered when her father was coming to visit… and Ryunosuke, he believed you were dead!" Ryu clenched his fists so hard that his nails dug bloody crescents into his palms.

"I was a thief in my past life. That was what got Risa's mother killed. She wouldn't have gone into premature labour if she weren't always worrying when I would be caught. Risa, she looks a good deal like her mother, plays the piano like her too. I was a coward, I admit that. I can't face that child. As for Ryunosuke, I dragged him along with me because I didn't want him to end up like his siblings. My mistake. I was never on the plane that crashed. I sneaked off because the police were after me. I disguised myself as a priest and ended up in a serious car crash. When my memory came back, I tracked down my son. He was Junior Bartley by then," the former-thief-turned-priest said. "I can't offer him anything that his foster father couldn't."

"You mentioned Ryunosuke's siblings… Is there another child of yours on this island? I sense that Risa, no, Lady Hel, is here…" Ryu asked.

"Like little mother here, I will not speak on this… I may be a lousy father, but I will still try to protect my children…" the priest rose and stepped out into the falling snow. Ryu and Kyu watched him leave in silence. A soft moan sounded from the direction of the bed.

"He is running a fever," Megumi remarked as she placed her hand on her former instructor's brow. She had noticed that Hougou had gone restless as the conversation progressed. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he moaned fretfully. Alika briskly took a ewer of water and a towel and began to sponge his forehead. "Return to the manor. I will take care of him. Stop the killer." The old woman gave a wry smile. "Stop the killer, Master Ryu, perhaps you will outwit Risa yet."

_Dare he trust Alika and Father Mikhail? _

* * *

Father Mikhail stumbled and slipped. It was hard returning to the manor. He blinked away tears. He hadn't seen Risa in the manor as he had expected to. Ryoma was in though. He never felt any affection for that boy. He was a mistake he committed in a moment of weakness with one of the manor maids and he had been surprised his mother allowed the child to be born. Hell, he can't even recall what happened to that maid. He recalled grey-blue eyes and pale blond hair. _Did she drown in an accident? Or was it childbirth that killed her?_ Not that it mattered to Vera. She had her heir.

For his daughter, he felt only regret. For Ryoma, it was indifference. The only one he cared about was Ryunosuke and that one was dead. Risa probably resented her little brother for the special place he held.

There was someone else in the manor. Someone whose disguise he had seen through…

He slipped and slid a good ten feet off the path. There was a boot sticking out of the snow pile. He scraped away at it until the rest of the body was exposed. "Oh no…" Dr Saito was dead. His face was contorted in a frozen mask of death. One hand still gripped at his chest. His medical bag was clutched in his other hand.

Quietly, the priest rose to his feet and murmured a prayer before kicking the snow back over the corpse. With luck, the dogs would not find the corpse before he could get help from the manor or the village.

**Author's Notes:**

The truth is revealed. Hougou's not doing well though, he will be out of action for a while. The island's troubled past is revealed here.


	59. Hunter's Night

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

The island is definitely not what it seems.

**58. Hunter's Night**

"The doctor was an old man. A heart-attack's possible. The path and the weather aren't good for someone his age," Yamazaki sounded nonchalant as he replaced the sheet over the doctor's body. Tetsuya and Yamazaki had retrieved the corpse under the priest's direction. There were no external marks to indicate foul play, as far as Ryu could see.

Megumi checked the doctor's bag. She had memorised its contents earlier in Alika's cottage. Mariko had volunteered to go help care for Hougou. They did not expect her to return to the manor anytime soon. Apart from a strip of bandage and a bit of liniment, nothing else was missing or out of place.

"You kids hanging about here?" Yamazaki asked. "Yes," Kyu replied. "Well, I never expected DDS students to be here… least of all Kyuzuryu's descendant being one. They say Kyuzuryu hated the authorities." The lawyer passed Ryu the key to the cellar before leaving. The three students looked at each other before returning their attention to the corpses.

"First, Maximilian Wolff burnt alive in an oven." The corpse was fragile and crumbled in some places. It lay on the floor furthest from the door. "Maximilian Wolff, known SS guard and war criminal," a crisp voice cut in. The cellar door swung open to reveal Jezebella Ravenhall, her butler and Erik. "She wanted to help," Erik explained.

"At the time of death, most were asleep," Jez continued. "Is that so, Ryu?" Ryu turned a shade of crimson and nodded. Jez's neckline plunged deep enough to offer him a view of that soft bosom. He coughed and continued. "Second, Franz Montague. Fondly hated by his lawful wife and probably a good dozen of the girls he had abused and their families," Jezebella said as she lifted the sheet on the second body.

"Wait, how did the killer manage to kill him? Why remove the heart and why did he put it in the statue's scales?" Kyu asked suddenly. Megumi closed her eyes. They had been careless in not considering that aspect.

"A warning perhaps?" Erik suggested. "All the bodies were almost displayed for maximum impact. He wanted them to suffer, and he wanted the others to know."

"Carlo, what do you make of it?" Jezebella asked. The young butler coughed. "If I may, milady, the heart may have been tossed out of the window, like rubbish… The statue of Ma'at was below that window… It could be chance that…" he mimed tossing something underhand.

"Then everyone in the manor would have had opportunity!" Kyu exclaimed. If the killer had ventured out into the garden to place the heart, he or she would need to wear boots and a coat or cloak because of the weather. There was insufficient time for most of them indoors to venture out and there was no sign any of those who were indoors had left the building.

"My father and Tanaka were unlucky. Someone booby-trapped the cave…" Erik murmured as he rearranged the sheet over his father's body. "Hougou-sensei mentioned there were footprints there but they were all scuffed up after the explosion and rescue," Megumi remarked. "The tide would have washed them away by now." She closed her eyes. "They were small, bigger than a child's but possibly a woman or small man's. I noticed that all of the rescuers present there had big boots on."

"Dr Saito's death could be natural… Master Vladimir spooked him with his words this morning… we forgot to ask Alika…" Ryu yawned. It was getting late. "A serial murderer is at work here, we best return to our rooms and lock up," Erik looked restless. It was clear he wanted to be with his sister, especially with a serial killer loose.

There was a commotion outside. Tetsuya entered the cellar. "Karl Wolff is missing. I figured he would need his meds but he isn't in. He's not in the manor."

"What does Vladimir say?" Jezebella asked. "Master Vladimir's feeling a bit under the weather. He says to leave it be. But I thought…" Tetsuya hesitated. "Carlo, you help Tetsuya with the search. Try not to alarm the guests," Jezebella ordered. The butler nodded and exited the room. Kyu and Ryu made for the door. Erik escorted Megumi back to her room before joining his sister in his.

A search of the manor turned up nothing. The patient's room was neat. The bed had been made and there was no sign of a struggle. Father Mikhail was in the library with Yanagisawa and Yamazaki, discussing philosophy. Effette, Ingrid and Elizabeth were in the parlour. Effette was busy nursing her infant daughter. Mackenzie, Cleopatra and Ekaterina were smoking and drinking in the conservatory. None of the guests had noticed anything unusual. Most of the servants had left the manor after the previous night's dinner. It would be the next day before the grisly discovery was made.

* * *

Kerberos flipped open the note he found under his door. The handwriting on the note was neat but unfamiliar to him. He crushed it and tossed it aside. He was uneasy. The priest probably suspected something.

"_Lift a hand against little mother and you will suffer sorely for it,"_ Father Mikhail had said in a half-joking manner, but his eyes were serious. _His eyes…_ Kerberos struggled to recall where he had seen those eyes before. _It couldn't be…_

* * *

Kerberos winced as he tripped over a tree root in the heavy snow. It had started up again as the sun set. He wondered how he let Fenrir goad him into this. His flashlight did little to help in the dark. Risa was probably asleep in her bed now. She had been adamant that they did not antagonize the old woman further. Ryoma had stirred up a hornets' nest of trouble with his actions. Ryoma was indisposed now. Dr Saito's death was unplanned and unfortunate. _Who would have thought the old man would keel over from a heart attack on the way home? _

Alika Nikolai knew or suspected their true identities. He had sought out the priest after their chat but he was nowhere to be found. Kerberos argued that it would be safer if Alika were to suddenly be afflicted with senility… She had shown an interest in Master Ryu. Who knew what secrets she would tell him.

"You should have stayed in, young man…" an old woman's voice said.

Kerberos froze. Out of the darkness, his target emerged. She held a lantern aloft. They were on the path into the village. Though blinded by the glow of the lantern, Kerberos could see that she was not alone. Beside her was the priest. Both were cloaked against the weather. At their heels were the same wolfhounds which lounged about the manor grounds, except they were no longer the docile pets he recalled. The beasts snarled and growled menacingly.

The old woman shouted a harsh command and the dogs lunged forward. The priest averted his face at the sound of frenzied snarls and shouts. The crashing of branches told them that their prey had stumbled off the path into the forest. The wolfhounds followed. A smattering of blood stained the snow.

"Little Mother," Mikhail finally spoke. "Your order was to take down and kill…"

"Regrettable but necessary…" The old woman shrugged. "I best return to the cottage before Mariko-chan gets worried." She kicked some snow over the telltale stains.

**Author's Notes: **

In case you haven't got it yet, Father Mikhail is actually Loki, Risa's father. Alika Nikolai is the last Grand Duchess Anastasia of Imperial Russia. The Duchess is not one to be trifled with.

Russian wolfhounds or borzoi were a breed of hunting dog favoured by Russian nobles. They are used for hunting dangerous game like wolves or boar and are admired for their strength, speed and loyalty to their masters.


	60. Missing Links

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**59. Missing Links **

Morning was cold and miserably so. Ryu awoke early despite the late night they had. Kyu was still asleep. Ryu folded back his covers and pulled a coat over his nightclothes.

A morning bath was tempting. He debated on whether or not to wake Kyu. He decided to let his friend sleep in.

"Gomen-nasai!" he blushed furiously when the steam from the bath cleared. He had expected to find the bath empty but it was not so. Elizabeth Holmes squeaked in alarm and grabbed her towel, but not before Ryu caught a glimpse of her very pregnant belly as she scrambled out of the bath. The other occupant of the bath was none other than Jezebella Ravenhall.

"Do come in. The water's just nice," she called out. When Ryu failed to accept her invitation, she reached out and grabbed his ankle, unceremoniously pulling him into the water.

"Jez, what's the big…" Ryu gasped and spluttered. The raven-haired girl giggled. Ryu realised that they were both naked and in the bath. The warm water lapped at his skin.

"It's amazing how Lizzie Holmes manages to keep her skin so supple. I mean, did you get a look at her knees? For a 40 year old, she has the skin of a young girl," Jez laughed and massaged her arms. "And having a child at that age too…" She then massaged her breasts, forcing another blush from Ryu.

"Jez, how well do you know the others?" He tried not to think of those pert breasts so close to him.

"We are not friends, if that is what you want to know. But keep your friends close, your enemies closer. Every one in the circle, they hate each other. Your great-grandfather, Alika's uncle, Vladimir's grandmother, even Alika herself. Love and hate, they are the sides of the same coin," Jezebella spoke in riddles. "Madame de Calais, Effette, is a member through her late husband. Her husband killed himself over my father's murder… He was my father's friend, yet he failed to stop them."

"Are the deaths linked to your father's?" Ryu asked as he sat chest-deep in the bath. Jezebella drew closer and whispered. Her nipples brushed against his skin. "Yes, it would appear so. Of course, there are others who have not been touched by death yet." Her damp raven tresses slid over Ryu's arm like some sea serpent as she pulled away.

* * *

"Yanagisawa-san is missing," Tetsuya reported at the breakfast table as he served tea to a pale Vladimir. "Really?" the young master's grey eyes were flinty. "I suppose Herr Wolff Junior is still M.I.A.?" he sipped at his tea and sucked on a sugar cube. Breakfast was a subdued affair. Mariko was still in the village, attending to the patient. Kyu glanced around the table. Ryu was deep in thought, absently stirring his tea. Megumi was understandably tired, and a little worried, after the recent events. Erik sat next to his sister. The siblings were wary and picked at their toast. Occasionally, the Norwegian teen would hold his sister's hand.

The newly widowed Ingrid was weary-looking, but a smile danced fleetingly across her lips whenever her eyes rested on the empty spot at the table where her late husband would have sat. Cleopatra tried to start up a conversation but failed. Mackenzie nervously wiped his eyeglasses and fiddled with his napkin throughout the meal. Yamazaki ate little and spoke less. Ekaterina had brought a small pistol to the table and slung it from a holster at her hip.

"Do put that away," Jezebella yawned. The self-professed poison expert had her butler standing behind her. For every dish, her butler would take a nibble or a sip before she ate. "A food-tester, to guard against poison," Megumi whispered. She had read of such practices in medieval times, but this was 21st century Japan. "Cleary, she fears poison as well."

The authoress Elizabeth Holmes choked and retched several times over her porridge before pushing the bowl away. She declared she was too sick with worry to eat. Only Effette was an oasis of calm. The new mother nursed her infant, seemingly unperturbed by the deaths around her. The priest Father Mikhail was absent from the table. He had excused himself to fast and pray. Vladimir sat at the head of the table and tucked into his eggs and toast with gusto. Tetsuya had moved a new painting to the dining room on Vladimir's orders and it was not improving most appetites.

Kyu frowned at the painting. It was a gruesome piece of work. "_Meeting the Envoy_," Megumi shuddered. It hung from the wall behind Vladimir's chair. "That painting was in the room where Franz Montague was killed." Kyu scanned the painting. It did not show any signs of damage.

"Help!" A shaken priest blundered into the dining room. He spoke in English, Russian and then Japanese. "The bunker, Karl Wolff…" Some of the guests rushed out to the bunker, led by the priest. Ingrid, Vladimir, Elizabeth, Cleopatra and Effette remained at their seats.

* * *

The bunker door was ajar. The large table had been pushed aside to a corner. Its occupants ignobly dumped in a tangle of bones and rags. A new corpse had joined the ranks of the dried-out remains of long-dead soldiers. Karl Wolff was strung up by his wrists from the light bulb socket, naked. Blood pooled below the dangling corpse. The torso had been sliced open. Coils of oily intestines hung and dragged on the floor. Numerous gashes marked the skin. Tetsuya took one look and ran out, vomiting violently. "Stay outside…" Kyu warned Megumi and the other ladies in the party as he fought to control his own stomach. "Think Yanagisawa did it?" Ekaterina asked. "I heard rumours those two were involved in a _relationship_…" Erik had his sister's hand firmly in his grip to prevent her from entering the bunker.

"Cut him down already!" the retired soldier Mackenzie insisted. "Shouldn't we leave it the way it is?" Yamazaki countered. "After all, this is a crime scene…" He was careful not to get any blood on his shoes. Father Mikhail glanced at Ryu and Kyu. Kyu gave a cursory look around the bunker. Something had changed. Father Mikhail stood on tiptoes, trying to undo the ropes suspending the corpse. "Help him, Carlo," Jezebella was unfazed as she ordered her long-suffering butler to assist the priest.

"Ryu," Kyu whispered as the two men struggled with the corpse. "Did you see what's missing?" Ryu nodded. The headless corpse that sat in the corner was missing. His eyes scanned headless corpse. They needed to speak to him.

"We could check out Yanagisawa's room…" Erik suggested to Megumi. His sister's curiosity with the contents of the bunker was not abating. The stench of blood was overpowering even from outside. Megumi nodded shakily. A short while later, they were in Yanagisawa's room looking for clues to its occupant's disappearance.

It was Evangeline who found the pieces of the note and pieced it together like a jigsaw.

_K, leave little mother alone or suffer the consequences. A. K. _The note was cryptic and terse. "Who's A.K.?" she asked. "We have no one here with those initials."

"Alexis Kokuo…" Loki. Megumi whispered. They must speak to the priest. Then another name surfaced in her mind. _Kerberos._

* * *

Alika frowned. The blood trail led to the cliffs. Kerberos was no way in sight. The wolfhounds whimpered and licked her hand in turn. They could have herded him off the cliff in the dark but she would have preferred to find a mangled corpse. She peered over the edge. The sea churned underneath. The surf would have pounded any corpse to a pulp against the sharp rocks.

"You forced my hand, Vladimir Alexeivitch," she made the sign of the cross and hobbled away. "But who guides yours?" The wind chilled her to the bone. She smiled ruefully. She was too old. Saito was younger than she was but death caught up with him. Life and Death, her Uncle Boris always referred to the endless cycle as a stately court dance in which partners were interchanged. Soon it would be time for her to leave the dance floor, to surrender her partner to the next young lady and move on.

Someone in the village was playing an accordion and singing a Russian folk song. Inside Alika's cottage, Mariko gently spoon-fed a feverish Hougou warm porridge. Fever should break soon if the patient were to recover. _If not…_ Discarding her cloak and boots, Alika ignored the patient and nurse and moved over to the little shrine and lit a candle. "Heal him, Father. Do not let me flatter before it is done…" she prayed in Russian.

**Author's Notes: **

Is Kerberos really dead? Another death. Jezebella is really playing about with Ryu here.


	61. More Riddles

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**60. More Riddles**

"You moved the headless body from the bunker. The prints of your boots match those leading into that corner. Those prints were below ours and were made earlier," Ryu stated when they finally cornered Father Mikhail in the greenhouse. The priest sighed. The breath rose in a small puff of white vapour. Even inside the greenhouse, the air was cold. He let the rose he had been cutting fall into his basket. "I laid him to rest with his wife and child. Pity I could not find his head."

"You knew the deceased?" Erik asked warily. He had noticed the clothes on that particular skeleton were too modern to be form the Pacific war era. "Gerald von Holten," Mikhail nodded. "That's Master Vladimir's guardian…" Megu recalled. "Is Vladimir one of Pluto's…" Kyu asked. The priest only kept his silence and sat down wearily on a bench. "Vladimir's grandmother was ill for a long time and he was under the guardianship of his uncle. They were only related by marriage. His grandmother married Gerard's uncle. It would appear strange why he had allowed Master Vladimir's condition to deteriorate as it did. A few years back, an operation would have solved his medical condition," Jez added as she stood up from the rows of herbs she had been picking. "Perhaps you should ask Yamazaki-san the clauses in the old lady's will." The DDS students and priest did not realize she had been there.

Jezebella was alone. "Where's your shadow, Lady Ravenhall?" Erik asked. "It is unlike Carlo to leave you unattended." The colour rose in her cheeks. "I do not need a baby-sitter, Erik Thorsen," she stuck her nose up in the air and stormed off. "Foxglove leaves," Megumi caught a glimpse of the contents of the basket as she swept past them. "Don't they contain some compound that can be used in some heart medicine?"

"You are a sharp one. Digitalis. Thanks to some thief who made off with my poisons case, I have to distill a new batch in the kitchen now. Master Vladimir still needs his medicines," Jez said. "Keep my sister out of it," Erik warned. The idea of his sister handling poisons was unsettling. "Lizzie Holmes has volunteered. She wants to use it in her next novel. _Greenhouse of Death_ or something," Ravenhall swept off in a swish of lacy skirts.

"Ryu, you could stop looking now. She's gone," Kyu nudged Ryu. The blue-haired boy frowned. It was the priest who broke the silence that followed. "Vladimir must live as the heir to the island since Alika had no child to inherit. My mother would have done all in her power to stop him from leaving, but she would never have endangered his life. If his father dies before him and he dies before his sixteenth year, all the properties and riches will be donated to charity," he spoke in an absent-minded manner.

"Like Fenrir of the Norse myth, they could not kill him," Erik whispered. "Ryunosuke is dead, Risa is somewhere close by," Kyu summarized.

"I believe Vladimir is a Pluto member," Ryu said quietly. Vladimir had not required a disguise. Ryu closed his eyes and thought of the guests. Jezebella Ravenhall matched Risa the closest in age and physical type. _Could Carlo be Kerberos in disguise?_ But Risa would not be that obvious. _Was the missing Yanagisawa another victim?_

"Is Kerberos here as well?" Kyu asked before Ryu could. "He's probably dead. Little Mother's warning to Vladimir," the priest fished out a pocket Bible from his coat. "The only thing is that she hasn't strung up the body somewhere for Vladimir to see."

"Yanagisawa was Kerberos. The warning note in his room was from you," Kyu stated. "He was a friend to me. I owed him a warning at least. But he did not reveal where Risa is," the priest flipped open the bible in his hands. "I have a funeral to prepare for. I do not know anything of these bloody murders and though regrettable, they do not concern me in the least."

"The bunker was locked most of the time, so Jezebella said. Who had access?" Erik asked. "Vladimir, his servants probably and Jezebella. He gave her a key to show us about," Megumi summarized.

* * *

Ekaterina shut the door behind her. The games room was empty apart from the figure sitting in chair by the fireplace. Judging by the book he was just opening, he had just entered the room shortly before she did. Her target was alone. It was a dangerous gamble but Ekaterina was used to gambles of the most dangerous kind as a member of the Russian mafia.

"I know it was you." Her target turned to her but remained silent. Instead he motioned for her to sit in the chair facing his. "What's your motive? Revenge? Or are you carrying out her will?" Her companion stiffened in his chair at her words. Gloating, Ekaterina sat down and immediately felt a sharp sting in her thigh. Her vision blurred. _Poison…_

"It was nice while it lasted, milady, but sadly, all good things must end…" he tied on a leather apron. "By the way, I do my own bidding, not hers." She saw the glint of the scalpel, seconds before it plunged into her heart.

Twenty minutes later, the murderer stood back and admired his handiwork. It was done. His father was avenged. He tore off his bloodied leather apron and tossed it into the fire. The scalpel he dropped out of the window into the snow below.

* * *

Lunch was a sombre affair. Most of the guests declined to sit at the table, requiring Mairko and Tetsuya send their meals to their rooms. Class Q found themselves alone with Vladimir, Erik and Eva. The moment the siblings left the table, Ryu pounced on the opportunity to question their host.

"Vladimir, it is true that the bunker was locked and that the key was in your possession?" he asked.

Vladimir shook his head with a smile. "I am afraid Lady Ravenhall has yet to return the key to me… do you suspect me of murder, Amakusa?" He stood up slowly, gasping with exertion. "I'm sick, Amakusa. Do you believe I have the energy and strength to carry out those murders? Hoist a man's body up into the air? Perhaps you should ask that bitch Ravenhall. Or have you been so smitten by her charms in bed that your detective training is undone?" The barb hit home and Ryu turned bright red in the face. Before Ryu could reply, a shrill scream rang through the air.

Kyu was the first to reach the scene. "Megumi, stay back!" he fought to keep his meal down for the second time in the day. Ekaterina was lying on the pool table, her blue eyes sightless. Her chest had been hewn open, her ribs broken. Her lungs had been torn out of their place in the chest and tossed up over her shoulders. Blood stained the green velvet table top red.

"The Viking Blood Eagle… a legendary execution said to be reserved for traitors… We're dealing with one sick bastard here," Erik muttered as he crouched in a corner, hugging his sister to soothe her. Evangeline's screams tapered off into sobs as she gripped at her brother's shirt. "We just came into the games room and found that…" Megumi sneaked a peek through the door and immediately regretted it. She retched violently onto the carpet. Kyu calmly patted her on the back until her stomach had emptied itself. Ryu cautiously approached the corpse. _Was that a pen?_ He felt the blood-soaked garment which was once Ekaterina's coat pocket. The body was still warm.

"What did you find?" It was obvious Ryu had found something. "Something which may be useful… if only we have Kazuma-kun or a PC here…" Ryu whispered. It was a mini spy camera which looked like a pen. Ekaterina might have recorded something useful. However, they were apparently stuck on an island which has not even a telephone.

"What happened here?" Tetsuya came running with Mariko close by. Yamazaki the lawyer strolled along almost casually. He was wearing a bathrobe and his damp hair hinted that he had just taken a shower. Mariko shrieked at the sight of the mutilated body and promptly fainted into Tetsuya's arms.

Megumi lingered outside the room but stole a peek in through the open door. Something caught her eye. A thin piece of red fabric peeked out from the panelling on the far wall. It also blended in with the rich wine-coloured edging of the panelling. _Could it be a secret passage like the one in the library?_ She scanned the room again, recalling the position of each item. Something was amiss.

"Kyu, look at the painting frame on the right of the bookcase, it is not aligned the way it was this morning when we played pool…"

Kyu scrambled up the settee below for a closer look. "You're right," he gingerly lifted the painting off its mount and promptly dropped it. The frame crashed to the carpet, popping the painting out, except it was not a priceless painting but a cheap cloth print of the painting. The young detective leapt down for a closer look. There was a streak of red on the edge of the cloth. _Blood?_

"Someone's up to their old tricks again…" Father Mikhail said as he entered the room and saw the painting. He strode over to the panelling and pressed on it. It swung open into a spiral stairwell leading up into the darkness. "This leads to the upstairs corridor, where the guest rooms are."

**Author's Notes: **

Father Mikhail's being almost cooperative now. An art thief? But when was the painting stolen? Could it be tied to the murders?


	62. The Phantom

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**61. The Phantom **

The party made their careful way upstairs and stepped into the corridor. A startled Ingrid peered timidly from behind her door. Effette demurely nursed her infant daughter as she paced the hallway. The priest ignored them both as he made his way resolutely to a certain guest room. "In the world of art theft, there are few names which can rival Loki's. One of them is the Phantom," Father Mikhail grinned broadly as he merrily kicked in the door before Ryu or the others could stop him.

"What's the meaning of this?" An outraged and scantily-clad Cleo yelled. Various clothes were strewn on the floor, including a red silk blouse. "Lady Phantom, we meet again," the priest greeted her with an icy smile. "Why don't you tell them what happened downstairs?"

"I was up here with him all this time!" A sleepy-eyed Doug Mackenzie yawned and sat up in the bed. "Whassat, sweetie?" Ryu noticed a fresh bandage on his hand before he tucked it under the blankets. "Doug, whatever happened to those dreadful scars you got from Iwo Jima?" Father Mikhail took hold of the man's shirt and tore downwards, revealing the padding which formed his paunch.

"Nani?" Kyu blinked. The conversation was conducted in English and he was lost. Not so Ryu.

"You knew they were impostors, didn't you?" he asked quietly. "Pluto's?" Loki shook his head. "No, just some old acquaintances from the past," he turned to the pair. "Phantom and her sidekick, really you were slipping back there, old gal."

"Master Loki himself," Cleo had recovered herself sufficiently to don a dressing gown. "We were disturbed rather rudely earlier. Enough for Jack's knife to slip. We'll return the paintings to you, Loki, and your boy… we didn't see anything…"

"I don't mind those paintings," Loki laughed softly. "Since they were mostly done by my mother. Pretty good forgeries, aren't they? Good enough to pass for the real deal. But do you expect me to believe you and Jackie boy here ran off like scared hares?" The elderly soldier removed his mask to reveal a young man's face. "How did you get an invitation here? This is an exclusive hunting party…and the invitations were sent only to select members."

"Someone hired us to steal some paintings from here. Gave us the invites and the files on Mackenzie and Cleo, along with the info on the mansion layout via a post box in Oslo. We were told that the real persons were away on vacation…" the Phantom sat down on a chair. "You had me fooled for a while, but I realised the tobacco Jack was smoking was different from that the real Mackenzie smoked. Also, Cleo will never wear faux fur when she could have real fur," Mikhail added. "I thought I would hold my silence to see what you two get up to, but in light of the murders…"

"We have nothing to do with them," Jack protested and was swiftly hushed by his partner. "We did overhear a man's voice and a woman's as we were climbing the stairs. They were speaking some language I do not understand, not English, Spanish or French…" Cleo added. She froze when she saw the master of the manor, Vladimir, and his butler at the door.

* * *

"So can we trust Loki?" Megumi asked cautiously as they discussed their findings in Kyu's room. "She has a point. He is Risa's dad," Erik added. "I can vouch for what Cleo and Mackenzie said," Ryu countered. The pair of thieves were being kept under lock and key in their respective rooms as suggested by Vladimir. The two butlers, Tetsuya and Carlos, would take turns watching them.

"They found this Jack's room. I think it's a new type palm pilot. Think we can rig it up to read that camera pen we found with the body?" Kyu looked up from where he and Evangeline were busy with an electronic device. Ryu nodded and fished out the camera pen using a handkerchief. Erik plugged it in. There was no image captured. The sound that came out was scratchy but they could make out Ekaterina's voice. The words were alien to them.

"I think it may be Russian…" Erik frowned as he re-played the audio. "I don't know the language too well, but Ravenhall might. Should I get Vladimir or Alika to help? Maybe we could get some online translation… someone was using this to surf the net recently. Must be careful though, the batteries are almost out of juice and I don't see any chargers…" he tapped on the screen with the pen.

A website flashed on the screen. "Wait, what's that?" A small headline caught Ryu's attention. It was in English. _Retired American soldier killed in freak accident. _Doug Mackenzie was dead, killed by possible drowning in a water barrel outside a small pub in Oslo. The body had to be chipped out of the ice. "The real Cleo may be dead too… Aha!" Erik zoomed in on another article in the news archive. A socialite was found dead of a suspected drug overdose in her hotel room during the launch of her new fashion label in Paris. Cleo.

"How odd. I was in Paris on a stopover with Jezebella and her servant on that very date. Damn!" the screen flashed a warning and promptly went dark. The batteries had run out.

"What did you catch from the camera pen's tape?" Kyu asked Megumi. Megumi carefully repeated the syllables she could recall, everything that was clear enough to be heard. Now they needed someone to translate… _Someone they could trust…_

"Hougou-sensei," Megumi exclaimed. "He took a short course in Russian when he was in DDS. It was there in his file when Kazuma hacked into the system the last time. He may be able to translate, if he is well enough."

"What are we waiting for?" Kyu exclaimed and leapt to his feet. "Let's go over as soon as the snow eases up a bit."

"Suit yourself, Eva and I are going to do some major brother-sister catching up," Erik replied and scooped up his sister, piggybacking her out of the room.

* * *

At the village, the students found Hougou-sensei awake and his fever gone, thanks to Mariko's tender loving care. The housekeeper asked them gently not to tire out their former instructor. Alika was not in. After listening carefully to Megumi's repetition of the words recorded by the latest victim's secret camera, Hougou thought carefully. He hadn't learnt the language well enough or Megumi's pronunciation was slightly off.

"The victim mentioned revenge, and that she knew who the murderer was… however, she seemed to hint that the murderer was working under someone's direction…"

"Pluto! The whole thing must be some big trap to get at Ryu!" Megumi exclaimed. "They have been at it since Kuniko's…"

"Amakusa's smack in their sights, but there is always some other motive driving the murders… With the exception of Toya Kuniko and Ryunosuke, they have not acted personally… We have more than one motive in this series of murders. Lady Jezebella Ravenhall," Erik added. The blond youth sat down casually on a chair. Erik had changed his mind rather suddenly by meeting them at the door. He did look a bit paler than usual.

"She couldn't have done it!" Ryu exclaimed.

"Hate to admit it, Ryu, but she has motive and opportunity. She is an expert in poisons and I guess dissection is also a hobby of sorts with her," Erik got to his feet. "Shall we go before we are snowed in? The weather here can be unpredictable…"

* * *

Back at the manor, the Class Q members went their separate way from Erik Thorsen. The blond entered the parlour and closed the door behind him. He removed his wig and mask. Lady Hel passed him a cup from which he took a swig, grateful for the relief it offered. The real Erik and his sister were no doubt still sound asleep in their room after the pills he slipped into the cocoa Tetsuya brought up for them. The going was hell for someone in his condition and he had been lucky that Alika had gone to check on her goats away from the village. "Any sign of Kero?" Hel asked.

"_Nyet._ We have to accept that the old bitch got him," Fenrir sat down next to her on the couch. "You sound almost worried…" he patted her on the knee.

"Keep your paws to yourself, Brother…" Hel warned. "I hope the old bitch freezes to death…"

"She's too tough for that… Ryu's getting a bit uncomfortable with the notion that Lady Ravenhall is the main suspect… but in a way she does have the means and motive…"

**Author's Notes: **

Ryu's starting to suspect Jezebella. No sign of Kerberos yet (don't worry too much though). I'm back after a while of writer's block. Fenrir's sneaky impersonating Erik, and somewhat foolhardy.


	63. Button You Must Wander

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**62. Button You Must Wander**

After a refreshing bath, Ryu was about to enter his room when…

"Kyu, no… that tickles!" Ryu froze at the sound of Megumi's giggles coming from their room. "Haha! I got you, Megu!" Kyu exclaimed. Megumi squealed. There was a flump of pillows hitting something or someone. Ryu wondered if he would open the door on a pillow fight. He thought the better of it and wondered if he could spend an hour or so with Erik, they could go over the case while Kyu and Megu relaxed.

"You're too tense. A massage should fix that," a familiar voice purred. Ryu felt a pair of silk-clad hands on his shoulders. He whirled around. Lady Jezebella Ravenhall. "It is still dangerous to walk the halls alone. Would you like to join me while Carlos relieves Tetsuya at guarding our misguided art thieves?" The butler grunted in agreement.

"I was going to join Erik…" Ryu protested. "Erik's too caught up with his kid sister to play detective, Amakusa. Now he's about as useful as a chimney in summer," Jez retorted. "Shall we go look at some dead bodies? I do want to find out if my poisons were used in the latest murders. It does take time for the signs to surface in some poisons."

Ryu noted that she was wearing a high-collared Victorian-style dress over which a leather apron was tied. Obviously, this was not a spur of the moment idea on her part.

Ryu stole a glance at the butler. There was a slight reddish tinge to his sleeve cuff. _Could it be blood?_ If yes, he could have got it on him when he was moving the bodies. He thought back carefully. If Cleo or rather the Phantom could be trusted, Ekaterina was with a man at the probable time of her murder. Master Vladimir had emphasized his illness and infirmity to commit murder. Of course, he could be playing up his ill health as an alibi. The remaining men were able-bodied. Loki was fit for his age, but he had little motive. He did help with the moving of the bodies, as did Carlos and Tetsuya. Yamazaki avoided contact with the bodies or blood. The presentation of the bodies suggested a good deal of surgical skill.

"Ryu?" Ryu snapped out of his reverie at Jez's voice. Before he could recover, she kissed him on the lips. "Stop daydreaming, we have work to do…"

* * *

The stench of death and blood had filled the cellar by now. The cold kept decay at bay, for now. Using a pair of long chopsticks, Jezebella prodded at the innards of the latest corpse with the practised skill of a surgeon. Ryu tried to force aside his growing unease. "You seem to be well-versed in this…"

"Part of the Ravenhall tradition. My father taught me to open up rats to observe the effects of the poison on their innards. I helped him with his dissections since I was seven."

"However did you manage to hire Carlos?" Ryu asked as he peered over her shoulder. He held a scented handkerchief to his mouth and nose. Jez had tied hers around her nose to allow both hands to be free. "Father hired him. He worked with Father since he was a boy. Started out as a boot-boy on the Brazil estate and worked his way up. Father trusted him absolutely… What's this?" she fished out a piece of ceramic-like material from the chest cavity. It was a small white button, similar to that found on sleeve cuffs of men's shirts. She passed it to Ryu, who gingerly slipped it into a paper bag as evidence. An image flashed into Ryu's mind. Carlos' sleeve cuffs were undone when they met in the corridor earlier. It seemed out of character for the butler, who had always presented a front of immaculate neatness.

"Ryu, there is another issue I wish to bring up with you… Gerard von Holten, Vladimir's guardian…" she paused to check that the cellar door was fastened before continuing. "He was most likely killed by Vladimir some years back, same for his wife and child. Vladimir showed me his mummified head…"

"What? But you never said anything earlier!" Ryu exclaimed. If Vladimir was a proven killer, perhaps the murderer was him. "Hush!" Jez shushed him. "We are on his island, in his house and power. That man was involved in my father's death, as were Cleo, Mackenzie and the others, but they covered up at the inquest and my father's death was ruled to be a unfortunate accident. Earlier, I spoke to Father Mikhail and I learnt of the other two deaths. I would hold my tongue if only Gerard was killed, since he deserved it, but I draw the line at babies."

"Did the priest say anything else to you?" Ryu asked. "No."

"The real Cleo and Mackenzie are dead. They died in Paris and Oslo, coincidentally at the same time you were there."

"Really?" a smile danced on Jezebella's lips. "Do you suspect me? I did leave my companions to go sightseeing alone in both cities…"

"I don't know who to suspect," Ryu replied in surrender. "I see that I have to clear my own name here. Since I am the only one with motive and means for the deaths," Jez said and tossed her head. "Vladimir has motive to kill his guardian but not the others…" She tore off her gloves and apron and sat down on a nearby wine cask. "If the murders are tied to my father's, I assure you that there will be no more. All the guilty have been dealt with. There is nothing more for me to do. Like the other murders, Ekaterina was poisoned with a poison from my collection. Maybe I could consider it poetic justice that the poisons involved originated from my father's collection."

"Jezebella, you mentioned that specialized knowledge is needed in administering the poisons…" Ryu asked. "Would anyone else here have that knowledge? Vladimir perhaps?"

"Well, most are closely guarded Ravenhall family poisons. My father and I do not share such knowledge freely. Whether you believe it or not, I have nothing to do with the deaths," Jezebella vowed. "Now, how does bed sound?"

* * *

In her room, the Frenchwoman Effette de Calais nursed her daughter and thought how much the infant's eyes resembled her father's. In another guestroom, the new widow Ingrid thumbed through a worn copy of the Bible. In his room, Yamazaki went through the legal jargon of a dead woman's will. It would not be long before her estate was to be divided among her grandchildren, of whom there was only one the lawyer knew of. A few sections bothered him. Alika was entitled to a share if the heir, Vladimir, reaches the age of sixteen. Von Holten had strangely announced his decision to waive his claim on the estate, which included properties from his family's side shortly after his disappearance from public view. Another person was mentioned as a possible heir, one Alexis Kokuo, if he is still among the living. But little news had reached him regarding Vladimir's father since he left the island.

After turning off the tap, Elizabeth Holmes caressed her swollen belly and felt the baby kick. Gingerly, she slipped into the warm water to ease her aches. _Foxglove leaves._ She had helped Jezebella with the concoction of Vladimir's remedy, not that it would help him much. Jezebella had been kind enough to mix up a cup of herbal tea for her aches and to help the baby. _Babies_, she corrected herself. The ancient Alika had been adamant that she carried not one, but two infants. Being a first-time mother, she was nervous. She hoped the babies would not come so soon. The pregnancy had been hard on her so far, her health was never strong to start with.

Erik rubbed his eyes and yawned, dislodging his sister's blond head from his lap. He wondered how he had managed to fall asleep in the middle of sharing his exploits in DDS with his sister. True, the warm cocoa had made them sleepy… Eva rubbed her eyes and stretched her arms. They were still curled up on the small settee. Erik glanced at his watch and was horrified to find that he had been asleep for the last ten hours. A disturbing thought occurred to Erik.

_They had been doped. _He grabbed his mug. It was empty. His sister's still contained a little bit of the drink. He shook off the lingering effects of the drug and made for his detective handbook. Jez's hurried departure from Oslo meant that he had been forced to leave his laptop and hi-tech gear behind, but his handbook should be able to carry out some elementary tests.

* * *

"We were drugged!" Erik announced as he burst into Kyu's room. "Oops, gomen-nasai!" Two heads lifted themselves from Kyu's bed. Megumi and Kyu blinked. Megumi looked accusingly at Kyu. "Didn't you lock up?"

"He did. I guess I broke the lock…" Erik admitted. He turned away as the pair started retrieving their clothes. Ryu's bed had not been slept in. "Where's Amakusa?"

"Someone slipped sleeping pills into out cocoa last evening. Eva and I were out of it until this morning. Eva's still a bit woozy so I had her sleep it off. I better go watch over her…" Erik hurried off.

"Where's Ryu?" Kyu glanced about with a pang of guilt. They had been so occupied with each other that neither had stopped to consider that Ryu meant need the room too. Kyu wondered if he had spent the night in the parlour or one of the other rooms. Fully dressed, he stepped out to spot Ryu and Jezebella down the hallway. He returned to the room. _Wait, if Erik was out since evening, who went with them to Alika's cottage? _

* * *

"Good morning… did you sleep well?" Jez asked casually. "It was sweet of you to volunteer to take a turn watching the corridor…" Ryu blinked and rubbed his eyes. After spending the better part of the night helping Jez in the cellar, he had returned to find Carlos snoring on the job. Lady Ravenhall was less than pleased. Ryu offered to take over from Carlos since the poor man was in no shape to continue standing guard. Then he must have dozed off in turn.

"Elizabeth, you don't look too good," Jezebella called out to the authoress, who promptly ducked back into her room. "I guess we better find Mariko or Tetsuya in the kitchens. She could use some of my special brew. I do happen to know a bit of herbs from my grandmother," Jezebella said with a smile when she noticed an uncomfortable look on Ryu's face. "It is in the dosage, the same herb that heals kills in the wrong dosage."

**Author's Notes:**

The murderer is good at covering his/ her tracks. Vladimir is looking like a suspect, as is Jezebella. They finally have a piece of material evidence – one button.

For those of you who like Megu and Kyu, well, they finally sneaked in some action (at Ryu's expense though, he ended up outside. Too bad Jez didn't offer up her bed.)


	64. Fenrir the Wolf

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**63. Fenrir the Wolf **

"Why are we snooping around in the rooms again? We've already done this once." Erik asked. "And why were you hanging out with Lady Ravenhall? She's dangerous! I bet she's the one who slipped the…" Ryu ignored Erik's rant as he searched the late Yanagisawa's bags. The artist had travelled light. The carpet bag was only filled with a few clothes and other personal items. Nothing there was of particular interest. Ryu turned his attention to the closet. It was filled with a number of silk shirts and yutakas of varying sizes.

Earlier, Megumi and Kyu had discovered what appeared to be Ekaterina's diary in her room. Jez had graciously volunteered to translate the entries of the past few days. After reading through the entries, Jez had pronounced little suspicious was recorded, apart from the last entry…

"_I will not be used by a mere serf,"_ Jez had translated with a deadpan expression. _"I am no pawn in this game…and I will let the Lady Jezebella know this…" _It was a pretty damning piece of venom directed at the Englishwoman, but Jez apparently expected something of this type from the dead woman.

"Did you do it, Jez?" Ryu wondered aloud. _"By this ring that bears my name, I swear that I have nothing to do with the deaths…"_ Jezebella's words came back to him. She was immensely proud of her noble heritage and that oath had been serious as far as she was concerned.

"Kyu, watch out!" Megumi's voice came from the next room. A crash sounded. "Ow, that hurts!" Kyu's voice followed. Judging from Megumi's tone as she rebuked him and Kyu's laugh, no serious harm had been done.

"Brother?" the blond pigtailed Eva rubbed her eyes and tugged at Erik's sleeve. She had been quietly following them as they did their search. "I just recalled something about Lady Jezebella Donna Ravenhall. She visited Father some weeks before. They were talking about some village in Korea. Father asked her to reconsider because no tribunal will re-try the case, since that person had been cleared of wrongdoing."

"Douglas Mackenzie. He was implicated in a massacre of refugees during the Korean War as a soldier but was acquitted. Jez got me to dig up the dirt on that but I told her with the brigadier's good rep, it will be tough to get them to re-open the case or cause damage to his name…" Erik exclaimed. "Then he shows up dead…"

"Father was also on the list of people whose pasts I was to dig up. In fact, I had to do a lot of digging…" Erik remarked.

"She was awfully mad when she left," Eva added. "She hit poor Carlos even though it was no fault of his."

"Wait, was Carlos present when she spoke with your father?" Ryu asked. Eva nodded. "Carlos is her shadow, always trotting to her beck and call like a hunting hound…" Erik added.

"They were interrupted by Jez entering the room. "I found my poison-case… It was on my pillow…" Jezebella gasped as she held out the leather-bound book in her lace-gloved hands. "It wasn't there earlier, I only left for fifteen minutes to get a cuppa tea and…"

"Calm down, Jez," Ryu said. Tears were running down her cheeks as she babbled. "Please pass me the book…" he whispered. There was a slim chance their culprit left prints on the leather surface. She held it to him carefully. With a towel in his hand, Ryu took it from her.

"I'm so glad it is back. It was the last gift from my father before his death…" the young lady managed to compose herself and dabbed at her eyes with a lace hanky. "I don't know who put it there. Kyu and Megu were in my room earlier, when they asked my help to translate the diary. I was mostly in it since I wasn't feeling too well. A touch of flu, perhaps. About fifteen minutes ago, I felt thirsty and rang for Carlos, but he's not around, so I had to lock up, go downstairs to ask the housekeeper for a cuppa tea. Are you dusting for prints?"

"Yes…" Erik had his DDS handbook out and was dusting for prints. There were a number of them. "Mine wouldn't be on it," Jezebella added and held up her gloved hands. "Father taught me to wear gloves when handling poisons." Jezebella wore gloves for much of the time.

"Are any of the poisons inside missing?" Ryu asked. "I will have to check to be sure once Erik's done dusting."

"Found something?" Kyu asked. The commotion had attracted both Megumi and Kyu from the next room.

* * *

"If Jez isn't lying, our suspect had only fifteen minutes to return her poisons case," Ryu cast a wary glance at the open case. It appeared to be a thick book at first glance, but the hidden hollow inside contained a deadly arsenal of vials. Some of the vials were empty. "Whose rooms were next to Jez'?"

"We met her butler when we went to get her help. He was going into the room next to hers… That will be an empty room since Erik has moved into Eva's. The young mother had the room next to hers. We heard her voice and Father Mikhail;s when we passed by. Opposite were Ekaterina's, Yanagisawa's and Holmes' rooms. We were in Ekaterina's looking for more clues…" Megumi recalled.

"We knocked on Ms Holmes' door, she was in but she claimed to have been asleep and did not notice anyone entering or leaving any of the rooms. Father Mikhail left Madame de Calais about ten minutes before Jez made her discovery. Didn't see anyone…" Kyu said. "Wait, didn't Jezebella lock her door before she left? There were no tool-marks on the lock. The person who returned the book had a key. He or she couldn't be one of the guests! We were all given keys to our own rooms, but the manor should have spares…"

* * *

"Master Vladimir is unwell…" Tetsuya stressed as he stopped them at the door of the master's bedroom. The young man pulled the key out of the lock. "He has just taken his medicine and needs his rest…"

"We just want to ask you about the keys. Where are the spares kept?" Ryu asked. "Mariko has the spares in her room," Tetsuya replied.

"May we speak with the young master?" Megumi asked. The butler hesitated. "Let them in. I can't sleep anyway," Vladimir's voice sounded from inside the room. Reluctantly, Tetsuya unlocked the door and allowed the trio of young detectives in. Erik had returned with his sister to their room. Confronting a potential killer was not on Erik's plans in keeping his sister safe.

The bedroom was so opulently furnished that even Ryu was struck momentarily dumb. Hung over the marble fireplace was a painting of a large wolf swallowing the sun. A crystal chandelier hung from the high ceiling. A large canopied bed occupied most of the far corner of the room.

Propped up against a pile of eiderdown pillows on his enormous canopied bed was Vladimir. Dark shadows showed under his grey eyes. The lamplight from the bedside lamp glinted off his blond locks. Next to the old-fashioned lamp was a half-filled glass. He smiled mockingly at them and Ryu was reminded of a wolf. "Pull up a chair or sit on the edge," he welcomed them.

There were several armchairs which were too heavy to move towards the bed. The soft bed looked tempting. Ryu hesitated and stood. Megumi opted for the nearest armchair, a large Queen Anne. Only Kyu sat down on the edge of the bed without hesitation. Ryu decided to follow Kyu's lead, never taking his eyes off Vladimir. The coverlet was rich velvet

_Vladimir was alleged to have murdered his uncle and his family._ It struck Ryu suddenly who he was facing. _Jormungand, Fenrir and Hel were Loki's children._ There was no mistaking who Vladimir was. _Pluto's Fenrir, the brother of Jormungand and Lady Hel._

**Author's Notes: **

Class Q is confronting Vladimir aka Fenrir. And someone returned Jezebella her poisons case? Why? Because it has great sentimental value to her? Or to frame her for the murders?


	65. Wolf's Requiem

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**64. Wolf's Requiem**

"Where exactly is your guardian?" Ryu asked slowly. "Did you kill him like they say?"

"I see you have been speaking with Ravenhall… Do you believe in self defence? The head is there…" Vladimir grinned wickedly and pointed at the chair Megumi was sitting in. Mwgumi immediately jumped to her feet. "Lift up the seat. There's a secret compartment underneath. That's where I have stashed his head," Vladimir said nonchalantly. "He threatened my life, so I killed him… Ryu, one more thing, you are in my manor on my island… will you have any proof to show I killed my uncle when you leave, if you ever leave? The boat is expected to come in the next two days…"

Ryu pried open the seat and found the embalmed head. "Could you even be sure it's my uncle's? My heart medicine tends to make me spout nonsense… maybe it's just a curio from Great-grandfather's time…" Fenrir chuckled lowly.

"We found two skeletons in the secret cell under the study… were those…" Kyu asked cautiously. Vladimir shrugged. "I believe someone has already disposed of those. Some well-meaning priest perhaps?" Father Mikhail's activities had not escaped Lady Hel or Kerberos' notice.

* * *

Lady Hel watched cautiously from her peephole into Fenrir's room. _You speak too much, Ryoma,_ she thought. Thankfully, she had already calculated this into her plans. Fenrir was like his namesake, uncontrollable. Already the chains binding him were straining. But Fenrir was destined to fall like his namesake in the myth.

"Excuse me," a man's voice called out. Lady Hel immediately moved away from her position. "Ma'am, you look like you need a seat…" It was only the priest. Lady Hel nodded, slipping effortlessly into her assumed disguise and allowed the priest to steer her the comfortable settee against the far wall. It was a pity she would not witness the exchange between Fenrir and Amakusa.

She rubbed a hand over her belly and felt a kick in response. "Has there been any news of Yanagisawa?" she asked. "No, ma'am. The villagers are still searching. Perhaps he did go off the cliff…" the priest replied. His eyes were watching her carefully, one green and one brown. For an unsettling moment, Hel felt her world sway. They were so like Ryunosuke's eyes. The moment passed.

"I'll get Mariko to make you a cup of hot tea, a light Japanese green instead of the usual Russian black…" the priest left the room.

* * *

"I know who you are, Vladimir, or should I call you Kokuo Ryoma? You are Grandmother Vera's grandson… Where is your sister, Risa?" Ryu clenched his fists by his side to keep from hitting out. Pluto killed Ryunosuke and Kuniko. They killed so many on her instructions just to hurt him. Fenrir, no doubt was one of the leaders, wasn't he?

"So this is the so-called heir to Pluto? Amakusa, you were a mistake of Grandfather's judgement. My dearest sister, Risa, should have been heir," Fenrir mocked. "She's here, Amakusa. Risa is here, but you can't expect me to tell you which one of our servants or guests she is… Do you suppose she might be Jezebella? They do have similarities…"

"Who is the murderer, Fenrir?" Ryu asked. Vladimir shook his head. "Touchy, aren't you? Grandfather offered you a chance, you know… Did you dream about killing those servants who snatched away what was rightfully yours? But then he had to set them up to kill each other, so that your hands will not be smeared."

"I never…"

"I understand that feeling, Amakusa. I watched when my so-called guardian neglected my grandmother and I on this forsaken rock while they grew fat off grandmother's estate. My grandmother used to hunt when her health allowed. The thrill of the hunt, tracking, trapping and finally the kill. It was the same. That person let Grandmother die. If I did not kill him, I was next. There is a thrill in watching the light go out of their eyes, Amakusa…" Fenrir grinned. "Grandfather was naïve in that aspect. I am a hands-on person, Amakusa. To me, murder is no spectator sport or..."

"Murder is no game or sport, Fenrir…" Ryu hissed. "Lives are being taken!"

"Are you saying those who murdered the late Duke Ravenhall should go unpunished? Suit yourselves… your arguments tire me," Fenrir yawned and waved his guests towards the door. He reached for his glass. He only took a few sips before realizing that something was wrong.

"Vladimir?" They were almost out of the door when the sound of a glass smashing onto the pine wood floor caught Kyu's attention. As one, they turned. Megumi screamed. The young master of the manor had fallen onto the floor from his bed. There was blood from where he had cut himself on the shards.

"Ryu, watch out…" Kyu called out a warning as Ryu hurried to the fallen youth, skirting the glass fragments carefully as he did so. The death rattle was sounding in the victim's throat as he fought to breathe. _Was it a heart attack?_ Their host was foaming at the mouth and clutching at his chest.

"Get a doctor. Call the butler!" Ryu shouted. Megumi sprinted out, being the nearest to the door. "Kyu, we need to get him away from the glass." Kyu nodded and grabbed those flailing legs. Ryu grasped his shoulders. Due to his illness, Ryoma was surprisingly light. The pair hoisted him onto the bed.

"Nee-san… R-risa…n-nee," the youths' eyes were glazed. "W-why?" With a bleeding hand, Ryoma clutched at the front of Ryu's shirt. He pleaded piteously. "W-why, R-risa...." It was then mercifully over. Ryoma's body went limp like a rag doll and his head lolled on the pillows. A little trickle of cherry-red blood snaked out of the corner of his mouth and onto those immaculately white pillows.

"How's the master?" Tetsuya burst into the room, too late. He was accompanied not only by Megumi, but Father Mikhail and Jezebella. The pale priest crossed himself and walked over to the corpse, efficiently re-arranging the sprawled limbs to give the youth a more dignified pose. If he felt anything at the passing of his son, he did not show it on his features.

"His heart got him?" Jezebella asked in puzzlement. Her eyes darted to the glass fragments on the floor. Without a word, she sank to her knees and sniffed at the spilled liquid. "Someone tampered with his medicine. The smell is too strong. I guess this glass contained ten times the dose I prescribed for him."

Someone had murdered Fenrir. Ryu glanced at the body. Father Mikhail was closing Fenrir's eyes. He slipped his cross off his neck and placed it on the dead boy's chest. Tetsuya discreetly excused himself to inform Alika and Yamazaki. They needed the lawyer and the old woman to sort out the remaining affairs on the island.

Ryu walked over to the adjoining bathroom and retched into the sink. There was only a sickening dryness in his mouth. Dully, he scrubbed at the bloody stains Fenrir had left on his shirt.

* * *

"Do you suppose it's suicide?" Ingrid asked tactlessly. "Maybe he killed those people for Ravenhall.."

"Hush, Ingrid. Cease your gossip…" Effette chided as they skirted the surreal centrepiece in the grand entrance hall.

Regal and stately as always, Alika had chosen to make her appearance at the manor once the news reached the village. She had washed and laid out the corpse, despite Ryu's insistence that the body should be left alone until a proper autopsy could be carried out. The young master's body was laid out in a coffin in the grand hall for anyone who wished to pay their respects, not that many villagers made the journey through the snow. The Russian wolfhounds that roamed the manor grounds and the island lounged languidly at below like silent mourners.

Father Mikhail occupied a chair beside the coffin, his Bible open in his lap and rosary beads in his hand. Yamazaki was in the study poring over various law books and documents pertaining to the succession. In view of the fact that Vladimir was the last of his family, there was a high chance the estate would go to the state, something Alika was against. The old woman had her knitting out and was clicking her needles as she rocked in her old-fashioned rocker. Several wolfhounds lopped over to her feet, eager for her warmth. Her expression did little to conceal her relief at the passing of a known thorn in her side. Her relationship with Vladimir had deteriorated much since he brought those strangers to the island.

The young detectives watched the proceedings numbly, painfully reminded of Ryunosuke's funeral. Slender white candles cast an eerie glow in the otherwise dark hall. Bearing a bouquet of blood-red roses, Jezebella entered. Her silent butler gently relieved her of her snow-dusted winter coat. She placed the roses at Vladimir's feet before exchanging a few words with the priest.

Ryu stole a glance at Jez. The noblewoman had spoken little since. She had admitted to preparing doses of the folk remedy for Vladimir and leaving them in the kitchen cupboard to stand. About five other doses remained. She had even gone so far as to take a sip of the contents of one glass before the detectives to prove there was no tampering. Erik's handbook database had confirmed their suspicions on the poison.

It was the foxglove extract and the remaining doses were not in deadly concentration. The cupboard was locked and only Tetsuya holding the key. The doses had been concocted earlier by Ravenhall with the assistance of Elizabeth Holmes. Ravenhall offered a preliminary and possibly true verdict of a heart failure as a result of acute digitalis poisoning. Both Tetsuya and Ravenhall swore they had not tampered with the doses in any way.

Jezebella Ravenhall now took a violin from her waiting servant. She placed the violin to her shoulder and touched the bow to the strings lightly. The mournful tones echoed in the cavernous hall. "It is an exquisite piece of music…" Elizabeth Holmes remarked as she struggled down the stairs. Her belly was so huge, Ryu expected her to go into labour anytime.

The melody faltered. Jezebella struggled but failed to carry off the melody. Deftly, she switched to _Zigeunerweisen._ "A brave attempt, but _Elysium Illusion _was never written for the violin…" Elizabeth murmured as she passed Ryu. Jezebella finished her impromptu tribute with _Autumn _and _Blue Danube. _

**Author's Notes:**

Bye-bye, Fenrir. Guess your sassing Lady Hel and setting up Kero-kun to get killed by Alika do not go down well with her. Death by poison and in Ryu's presence too.


	66. Fire

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

Yes, this is ending soon.

**65. Fire**

"What now?" Megumi asked Kyu. "I dunno," Kyu replied. They were all tired. Vladimir had been a prime suspect, a member of Pluto, but was he the murderer? It was unlikely. Ryu sat quietly by the window, watching the falling snow. They had assembled in Kyu's and Ryu's room. Erik cuddled up on the armchair with his kid sister. They were all tired. "Where're Alika Nikolai and the priest?" Ryu asked out of the blue.

"They went to the church. Maybe they are preparing a grave…" Erik replied. "Tetsuya and Carlos went with them, both with shovels. I guess we have flunked this time. Ingrid, Effette and the others will be back in their own homes soon once the boat comes for us. No chance of us finding the murderer among them once that happens. We better inform Hougou-sensei of the latest developments."

"Do you think I was too hasty in confronting Vladimir?" Ryu asked Kyu suddenly and turned to face him. The turmoil in his eyes was so apparent that Kyu found it hard to look straight at him. Instead, he reached out for the comfort of Megumi's hand. "Ryu, this Lady Hel is very different from Kerberos or King Hades. I don't believe Vladimir would have talked. Ryunosuke didn't but he got killed too… I don't believe it was an accident. Vladimir was poisoned."

"Think Jezebella did it?" Megumi asked.

"If she did it, it will be in a manner that leaves no obvious sign," Erik said. "She and Vladimir were close at one time, according to Carlos. Our butler let slip that much. At least until Vladimir proposed marriage to her and she rejected him. Then things turned a tad icy for them. Obviously, she didn't fancy being stuck on a rock in the middle of nowhere. Still, that was an awesome violin tribute she gave him…" Ryu stiffened suddenly at the memory. The disjointed pieces were falling into place in his mind. _Lady Hel…_

"Tetsuya manages an awful lot of the work about here, doesn't he?" Megumi asked as she peered out the window. The butler was leading the small party back through the garden. "Yup, that's part of any butler's job description I suppose. They're almost like their master's shadow. Lady Ravenhall's gets beat up most of the time but he still sticks with her," Erik laughed. "It's as if he feels some weird obligation to her because of her father. Lady Ravenhall is not the easiest person to live with."

"Erik, what do you know of Ravenhall's background?" Ryu asked. "Did she have any musical education in the US?"

"Of course she did. You don't expect her to get that good with the violin… I think it was at Carnegie or something like that. She mentioned it in passing at one of those tedious embassy dinners," Erik replied. "Her father's a botanist, at least that's what most believe. Their lineage is one of those old noble houses. He held estates in various parts of the world."

"Carlos is his foster-son," Eva muttered under her breath. "Say WHAT?" Everyone else stared at the little girl. "I just remembered Father mentioning that the night before he… died. But it isn't official or anything. Father just mentioned that Ravenhall should treat him more kindly, seeing that they were almost brother and sister. That was after she hurt him during their fencing practice."

"I guess that will explain why he puts up with Jezebella the Terrible," Erik said. "It also gives him a solid motive for the murders if he were her foster brother. He would also have access to the poisons and knowledge of their uses. Jezebella probably leaves most of the packing and stuff to him. After all, he's her butler…"

"The button we found could be from any shirt. All our evidence against Jezebella and her butler are circumstantial. Also, Jez had a solid alibi, me, for one of the murders," Ryu said. "Of course, it does not discount the possibility that they were both in on the murders." That would mean that Jez was using him as an alibi and lying to him. Carlos could be carrying out her instructions…

* * *

"Milady? You rang for me?" Carlos bowed servile as always before his mistress. Jez raised a hand as if to slap him but thought the better of it. "Carlos," she let her hand drop to her side. "These murders… I don't know if I am to rejoice or weep."

"You are upset with the suspicions?" the dark-complexioned butler queried. "Whatever happened to the shirt you bought while we were in New York?" she asked.

"I'm afraid I may have lost it, milady."

"Odd, I could have sworn you were wearing it after that Russian mafia bitch got gutted… Maybe we can go gut some of Vladimir's hounds, but that would displease the old grandmother."

"I'm sorry, milady…"

"Don't. Get out of here. I wish to be alone." Jezebella toyed with her ring.

"Milady, about Amakusa Ryu… Pardon me, but in my humble opinion, you are too close to him… If you are serious about…"

"I said get out!" Jezebella seized a candlestick from the bedside table and flung it at the wall behind Carlos. "As you wish," the butler bowed and left, locking the door behind him.

* * *

Despite knowing that the boat was coming soon, it was hard for sleep to come to Kyu. He had asked Megumi if she would like to sleep in their room. Each bed was large enough to sleep two. She had agreed after much hesitation. She now dozed inches from him. Ryu was still awake. Kyu knew that by the way he was tossing and turning. Erik had almost barricaded himself and his sister in their room. Father Mikhail had gallantly offered to patrol the corridors of the guest quarters with Tetsuya. The pair of art thieves were still safely locked up in their rooms. There was still a feeling that it was not over yet, even as Vladimir's coffin sat alone in the hall below.

"Most of the evidence is probably gone. Disposed off in the snow or the sea, if not the fireplace. All we have left are the bodies," Kyu said matter-of-factly. "The killer returned that poisons case to Jezebella for some reason. Is that smoke?" Kyu stopped and sniffed at the air. Ryu sat up in his own bed. "It is smoke."

The words were barely out of his mouth when a bell jangled. Kyu shook Megumi awake. Throwing on their clothes, they emerged into the corridor to find the other guests in various states of undress. Mariko was fumbling with the keys as she struggled to free the art thieves from their rooms.

Ryu ran for Jez's room only to find it vacant. "Come on, she's probably downstairs by now," Kyu said Yamazaki directed them down a flight of stairs which was smoke-free. "The fire's in the cellar. The smoke's coming up from there through the ventilation. The grand hall should be clear…"

With a sinking heart, Class Q realized that he was referring to the cellar where the bodies were kept. The last bits of evidence were going up in smoke.

It was a sorry party that gathered in the hall beside the coffin. Elizabeth Holmes was retching and coughing as Ingrid steadied her. Effette had her baby wrapped in her shawl to protect her from the smoke during their flight. The pair of art thieves clung to each other in a corner, bewildered. Jez stood in her nightgown, pitifully exposed to the cold. Her butler came running with a cloak. He was immaculately dressed in his standard vest, shirt and pants, as if he had not gone to bed at all. Alika stood with the wolfhounds padding around her, whimpering. Yamazaki and Mariko had run off to help Tetsuya and the priest put out the fire before the entire manor catches fire. Erik and his sister had decided to wait outside in the snow despite being in their nightclothes.

It was to everyone's relief when the servants, lawyer and priest returned to announce that the fire had been put out and that no serious damage had been done. "Don't know how it could have started. Someone tried to burn the bodies, I think. The smoke's bad, but not too much damage was done. The Wolffs are now little more than charred bones, but the others are quite intact," the priest said. "Ekaterina and Count Montague are slightly baked, but Xavier and Saitou are only a little sooty." Erik's face showed relief at the news that his father's body had not been damaged in the fire.

It was a deliberate attempt to destroy the bodies and whatever evidence they might offer once a proper forensic team arrived. Ryu had no doubt on that. They better find out the extent of the damage… He paused and stared at Jezebella's slippers. They appear to be slightly sooty. She was saying something in a language he did not understand to her butler and Carlos appeared upset. The lady hurried off, shaking off the cloak Carlos had tried to cover her in. The distraught butler followed after her.

"What did she say?" Kyu asked. "I don't know, it isn't in English," Ryu replied. "Nor French, Italian, German or Russian," Father Mikhail said. "It's Spanish. _We will speak of this no more._" Young Evangeline offered. "We think she set the fire," Erik added in a whisper. "I saw her leaving her room about fifteen minutes before the alarm was raised. She could be the killer, out to destroy the evidence…"

"Or she could be covering up for the killer," Megumi said solemnly.

"We better go check for clues," Kyu said. "Coming?" Ryu nodded. "Megu, could you take my sister back to the room. It's past her bedtime," Erik asked. Megumi agreed and took Eva's hand. The boys left for the cellar.

**Author's Notes: **

Is Jez the firestarter? Why would she be covering up for the killer? Ryu is starting to have his own suspicions on who Lady Hel is.

.


	67. Unfinished Melody

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**66. Unfinished Melody**

The cellar stank of seared flesh and kerosene. It was a miracle the place had not gone up like a bonfire. The arsonist had emptied the better part of two tins of kerosene lamp oil in the kitchen onto the bodies farthest from the door, namely the Wolffs. Some had been splashed over Ekaterina and the Count. A match probably provided the spark. Buckets of water and wet sackcloth had been used to quench the fire. Kyu began to regret not wearing his shoes when they fled. The cold water on the cellar floor had soaked through his slippers. Ryu was suffering the same fate. Erik had worn his boots when he left he manor with his sister during the fire and was not bothered by the water.

Erik stepped gingerly over the flagstones to his father's corpse. He gently wiped some of the soot off the dead face. A large piece of soaking sackcloth had been carelessly left on the corpse. Annoyed, the blond removed the offending rag. "The arsonist dropped something here," Erik picked up a handkerchief which had been covered up under the rag. It was of high quality linen. Erik lifted it up. It was trimmed with lace. There was even a monogram: JDR.

"Jezebella Donna Ravenhall," Ryu said and stepped out of the cellar quietly.

Ryu was not particularly surprised to find Jez still awake in the study.

"I don't suppose this is a simple social call," she looked up from her book. It was a leather-bound edition of Don Quixote. "What were you doing in the cellar? Destroying evidence?" he asked bluntly. She let out a small sound of annoyance and shut her book. "You dropped your handkerchief…" Ryu stumbled. The words stuck in his throat at the icy glare she shot at him.

"Are you sure that I didn't drop it earlier when we were carrying out the autopsies?"

"The soot… on your slippers…"

"What slippers?" Jez smiled and crossed her legs. She was barefoot. Too late, Ryu's gaze was drawn to the crackling fire in the fireplace.

Something at the edge of his sight drew his attention. Ryu dodged the dagger by the barest fraction of an inch. Steel sliced through the air bare inches from his shoulder. Gripping the hilt was the normally stoic Carlos, his face contorted in a mask of hatred. Ryu had been so engrossed in questioning Jez that he failed to notice the butler's entrance. The young man charged again. Ryu's foot caught in the heath rug and he stumbled, twisting his ankle.

"Carlos! Stop!" Jez leapt into action like a jungle cat. Her hand gripped the blade of the dagger, pushing it away from Ryu's neck.

"My lady…" Carlos faltered at the sight of Jezebella's blood dripping where the blade had sliced open her palm. "Carlos, you are dismissed," she made full use of his hesitation to wrestle the dagger from him. The butler then fished out a his linen handkerchief and tried to bind her hand. "Leave us to talk, alone," she snatched the makeshift bandage from him and pointed at the door. Bowing, the butler scurried out.

"Oh yes, please get the first aid kit from my room. You have the key," Jez called out as an afterthought. It was difficult for her to tie up her wound with one hand. "Allow me to help, please…" Ryu held out his hand. Reluctantly, she handed the handkerchief to him and stuck out her injured hand. The wound was fairly deep and must hurt. Ryu glanced at the handkerchief. It was not exactly sterile. There were suspicious rusty stains on it. Still, it was better than nothing.

"Who are you covering up for, Jez?"

"Leave it. Or would you prefer a trade. You do want to find out more about Vlad, don't you? And more importantly, his sister."

"I've figured that one out already…. You told me…" Ryu gasped at the sensation of Jez's good hand on his thigh. It was a light, almost accidental caress. He became painfully aware of how her nightgown had fallen open to show her cleavage. "I expected so. You were present when I made my little tribute to Vlad."

"How much do you know about Pluto?" The wound was bound up now but Ryu remained seated next to Jez.

"Not much. My father supplied poisons to your Grandfather, I do know that much. I left most of the business side of things to Carlos after my father's death, until fairly recently. Risa and I were dorm-mates in the Carnegie Academy and I do find working with her easier. Vlad's a pathetic thing really with his illness and all. And they expected him to be the heir. What a joke," Jez quickly shut up as Carlos returned with the first aid kit. The butler stoically snapped the bulky case open. The sight of assorted ointment bottles and other medical apparatus greeted them. Ryu noted that each item was nestled in its own little setting in the case and that several of settings were empty. These were eerily shaped like scalpels. Other scalpels were also in the case. These were individually sealed in plastic.

Jez took off the handkerchief binding her wound and almost thrust it at Ryu. Ryu beat a hasty retreat as Carlos prepared to clean the wound properly. It was only after he was down the corridor that he realized he was still holding onto the handkerchief.

* * *

"Either Jezebella or Carlos could have done it, but who did it?" Megumi asked. They were reviewing the case before breakfast. No one had returned to bed after the fire. Time was running out.

"If it were Jezebella, the deaths would have been passed off as natural, and I don't believe Jezebella would kill father," Eva added. Her bright blue eyes rested solemnly on the remaining detectives.

"We have no hard evidence to tie them in. Everything's circumstantial…" Ryu stressed. "We could trap them!" Kyu blurted out. "How?" Erik asked with a hint of sarcasm. "Jezebella may have bungled in her attempt to destroy evidence but thanks to Ryu here, she had an alibi for the first murder and a valid reason as to how her hanky ended up in the cellar. Hard to sneak off to commit murder when you are bopping like bunnies..." Ryu turned bright red at Erik's words. "Speaking of which…" Erik cast a sideways glance at Kyu and Megu, both of whom are as red as Ryu.

"They can't be that careful…" Kyu said. "What's that bloody thing in your pocket?" the Class Q leader pointed at the fabric sticking out of Ryu's pocket. "Carlos' hanky," Ryu replied. "It's very dirty…" Eva sniffed. "Smells like blood, Carlos' probably."

"I think it's mostly Ravenhall's," Ryu corrected. A plan came into his mind. They could trap Carlos or Jezebella… if they were the killers…

**Author's Notes: **

They have narrowed down the suspect list. However, we have no hard evidence, but Ryu has a plan. Will it work?


	68. Mousetrap

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**67. Mouse-trap **

"I found traces of blood besides Ravenhall's on this handkerchief," Erik announced as he placed the stained fabric carelessly on the dining table. "Maybe from Carlos, or one of the male victims. There may be DNA from the other victims on it… I could run a test on it later using my DDS electronic handbook…" Everyone, except the two art thieves and Father Mikhail, were gathered in the dining hall. The servants stood to the side as the guests dined. The priest had volunteered to relieve Carlos of guard duty so that he might grab a quick bite.

"It'll most likely be Carlos', it is his hanky…" Eva added. "Shouldn't you keep it properly, Erik?" She dug her spoon into her custard pudding, oblivious to the uneasy looks of the remaining guests. "Unlike you, I found something in the fireplace of the games room," the little girl triumphantly presented a charred piece of leather and a metal stud. "Guys, can we stop discussing the case for now?" Ryu put down his spoon.

"Cleo, or rather, her impostor, informed me that she recalled something about the last murder. Seems she was holding back something to cut a deal with the police. We'll go speak with her afterwards, maybe at eight?" Ryu said conversationally. Erik made a choking sound. "Not a chance. We speak to her tomorrow. I don't believe she has anything to offer and it will do no harm to let her sweat a bit. Besides, seeing your attraction to Lady Ravenhall, I seriously doubt if you can be trusted to question a pretty woman alone in her room. I am not going to give up my nightly bath and chess match with Eva for her convenience."

"Could one of the others take over, like Renjou or Minami?" a concerned Yamazaki asked. "Nope, Kyu's English scored an F as in flunked and Megumi-san, though slightly more able, is not really that good at it compared to Ryu, who grew up in America," Erik explained patiently. "We will question the Phantom Thief tomorrow…"

"You will have a guard outside her door, then? In murder mysteries, the witness is always in danger…" Elizabeth Holmes said as she pushed away her dessert. "Don't worry," Ryu said. "I will stand guard…" he stifled a loud yawn.

"Sleepy, Ryu?" Jez asked. "Maybe Carlos should stand guard instead…"

"No, thanks. I'll manage…" Ryu stifled another yawn.

* * *

"Think that will work?" Erik asked as he shut the door behind him. "It has to," Kyu replied. "Megumi will take care of Eva for you…"

"This will never work…" Erik poked at the pillows on the bed and rearranged them. "It's obviously a dummy. I think we may need a change of plans here…" he quietly outlined his idea.

"Shouldn't we ask Ryu's opinion? It sounds risky…" Kyu frowned. "That means I will have to…"

"I'll manage. How good is your self-defence?" Erik took his new position and checked his flashlight. It was heavy enough to be a serious weapon if it came to that.

"Well, I do get tossed by Kinta and Ryu a lot… but then Ryu's the best in that class after Kinta…" Kyu replied and took his place. "That's good then," Erik stole a glance at the door. It would be a long night.

* * *

"I hope Brother's okay…" Eva whispered uneasily as she crawled into her bed. "I understand…" Megumi silently prayed that both Ryu and Kyu would be safe.

She glanced at the clock. It showed half-past ten. She wondered if the boys were hungry or tired from their waiting. Mariko would send Ryu some supper, but it was unlikely they would touch it. Not after Erik's doped cocoa. She had secretly kept some scones from tea for them and passed them to Kyu. She hoped Kyu remembered them. Eva had prepared two canteens of water for them. It seemed a meagre lot for three teenaged boys.

* * *

Outside the guest room, Ryu sat silent and as still as a statue. Mariko's tray lay untouched at his feet. It had helped that the Phantom Thief did not indulge in supper, at least not without company. The hallway was unexpectedly cold. The grandfather clock chimed midnight. Ryu continued feigning sleep.

The killer approached cautiously. The lone guard appeared to be asleep. It was far too risky to use Jezebella's scalpels or poison this time. Jez had personally locked them up in the room safe after discovering the missing scalpels, and kept the key. There was also the danger of blood… Strangling would be cleaner. The woman was small-built, no match for the killer whose lean built disguised his strength.

Ryu murmured in his sleep as the killer passed. The key to the door lay carelessly on the carpet beside his chair, as if it had slipped from his grasp as he slipped into dreamland. The killer thankfully picked it up. Picking the lock could have woken the boy. And Lady Jezebella has taken a liking to him. It would be best if everything were quickly and quietly wrapped up.

The door swung open with a loud creak. The killer cast a sideways glance at the sleeping guard. Ryu did not awake. Reassured, he entered the room. A human-like shape lay in the bed. He dare not light the lamps. It would take too long. His flashlight and the weak glow from the dying fire would have to do. He tiptoed over to the bed and pulled out his weapon of choice, a crude garrotte made from a length of clothesline. With his knowledge of the human anatomy, it would take a minute to choke the life out of…

He was blinded immediately by a flashlight beam.

"Checkmate," Erik said to the killer and threw back the covers. The dark wig he had been wearing was tossed aside. The killer growled and leapt at the young detective. Erik had underestimated his opponent. The garrotte snapped into place around his neck.

"Erik!" Kyu suddenly realized the danger Erik was in. He fumbled with the curtains, trying to disentangle himself from the heavy velvet. He had somehow gotten entangled trying to emerge from his hiding place. Erik swung the flashlight at his attacker. It fell to the ground as he lost consciousness. Kyu finally emerged from his hiding place, just as Erik fell limply to the carpet beside the discarded flashlight. Kyu realised he was next. He felt about for some weapon. He felt something long, metallic and thin.

Ryu ran through the door. The commotion was way above what he had expected. The first thing he saw was Erik sprawled near the bed, his face blue. Something had gone horribly wrong. He skidded over to Erik, yanking loose the noose round his neck. The colour returned almost immediately. Ryu turned his attention to Kyu. Kyu and his opponent were circling like a pair of angry dogs. Kyu had in his hands the fireplace poker. His opponent was much taller but unarmed. Ryu immediately read in his stance the confidence of an experienced fighter.

_No!_ The killer lunged at Kyu and dealt him a sudden jab to the gut while dodging the poker. Kyu gasped and went down. Another quick punch to the side floored Kyu completely. The attacker wrenched the poker away and raised his fist again as he bent over the stricken boy. Ryu ran towards the pair.

A single gunshot rang out, shattering the deadly silence.

**Author's Notes:**

Will they get out of this one alive? Hougou-sensei will probably have a thing or two to say about that high-risk plan of theirs.


	69. End Game part 1

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**68. End Game- part 1**

Ryu felt the rush of air as the bullet zipped past and into its target. Instinctively, he dove to the floor and out of the line of fire. Another two bullets followed in rapid succession. All hit home. The killer collapsed on top of Kyu.

"Kyu!" Ryu crawled over to his friend. "Get me a doctor! I think I'm hit!" Kyu gasped and crawled out from under the limp body. He felt the front of his shirt. His hand came away red and sticky with blood.

"Ryu, tell Megu… I love her!" Kyu gasped and moaned. Ryu tore open Kyu's shirt to find no wounds. "Relax, Kyu. I don't think the blood's yours…" Ryu let out a sigh of pure relief.

"Kyu! Don't die!" Megumi screamed at the sight of her boyfriend. Kyu clutched at his chest. "Megu, I'm hit!" he lied. Megumi immediately ran to his side, cradling him gently in her arms. Kyu's hands took full use of the opportunity to…

"Kyu, cut that out… baka!" Megumi dropped him not-so-gently when she discovered that there were no gunshot wounds on him and that his hands were roaming where they should not. Ryu shook his head.

"On your feet!" Erik barked hoarsely. He had made a remarkable recovery from his near-garrotting. His neck still bore the twin marks left by the clothesline. "Megu! I thought you were keeping an eye on her!" he exclaimed. Megumi hastily apologized. She had not noticed Eva leaving their room.

Eva stood near her brother with a pistol trained cautiously on their suspect. One of her shots had smashed into the man's wrist. Another ended up in his shoulder and the last in his shin. "He'll live," she judged from the injuries she had inflicted. "My father taught me how to use a gun."

The gunshots had roused everyone in the manor. Tetsuya was the first to arrive after Megumi and Eva. "Was that a gunshot?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. When he saw the injuries on Carlos, he shouted at Mariko who had just arrived. "Mariko! Bandages!" The housekeeper rushed off down the hallway.

"What happened?" Father Mikhail asked as he poked his head out of the next room. He was wearing his cassock. The womenfolk hovered in a loose knot down the hall. Effette was busy soothing her howling baby. Ingrid and Elizabeth were holding each other's hands like a pair of frightened schoolgirls. Yamazaki soon joined them from the other wing of the manor. He had a silver candlestick in his hand as if he were expecting to use it as a weapon. Mariko promptly returned with the first aid kit. Jezebella was conspicuously absent.

"Where's Jezebella?" Ryu demanded.

"Jezebella had nothing to do with all this," Carlos said as Mariko and Tetsuya bound up his wounds they best they could. "The Phantom Thief knows nothing of the identity of the murderers, does she? It was all a trap!" Carlos spat.

"No major damage done. But one bullet is lodged in his shoulder," Tetsuya deduced from his probing. "The others went clean through his wrist and shin." Between Tetsuya and Erik, they forced Carlos to his feet.

Ryu ran out. He then caught sight of Jezebella standing alone at the far end of the corridor. She was rubbing her eyes and yawning. She had just emerged from her bedroom. One hand held the front of her nightgown together. The other held an old-fashioned oil lamp.

"Excuse me," she murmured and pushed past him. "Jez, wait!" Ryu went after her. Jezebella ignored him.

Her lips pulled into a thin line when she saw Carlos. "So it was you all along. Carlos, why did you do it? If it is for revenge, this business does not concern you at all." she asked and held the lamp up to his face.

"Gosh, his eyes… they are violet like Jezebella's," Erik gasped. Ryu stared. "He was wearing contacts all along?" Kyu asked as he nursed his sore shoulder when he had fallen onto the floor. "His eyes were brown in the day…" Megumi said. The butler's eyes were not the brown she recalled. Instead, the irises were the startling violet of Jezebella's.

"So the rumours are true…" Effette said. "Lars Ravenhall did have a child out of wedlock..."

Carlos shook his head. "That was a lie. My parents were wed in secret as my grandfather did not approve. My mother died when I was an infant and I was raised by a housekeeper. Soon after, father remarried. So, my lady, this business concerns me as well…"

"If you are truly father's son and my blood brother, then this ring should be yours," Jez yanked her signet ring off her finger in a daze and passed it to Carlos, dropping it into his good hand. "Do what you will and do not disgrace our name." She walked off without any further words.

"Where's that Phantom Thief, by the way?" Father Mikhail asked. "We moved her to her partner's room down the hall," Kyu replied. The priest thanked him and hurried off.

"What shall we do with him?" Tetsuya asked. "Put Carlos in his room and lock the door," Elizabeth said with surprising authority. "We'll have the police handle things from now on. This is no work for amateurs like us." The butler nodded and with Erik's help, manoeuvred the prisoner off to his room.

* * *

The priest silently slipped away to a small shed. After that commotion, he needed to re-discuss his plans. "How are you feeling, Kerberos?" he called out a greeting. The blanket-swathed form in the corner stirred. "Terrific if you discount that fact I have a raging fever and possible broken legs…" a hoarse voice replied.

"I owed you one, so I'm going to get you off this island with the help of a few friends…" Loki snapped open the first-aid kit in the corner of the shed. The bandages would need changing. It was sheer luck he had found the unconscious man on the shore where the sea had washed him up.

"Damn it, Loki. What are you up to now?" Kerberos moaned. "Risa will not give up that easy…"

"She will be dealt with, but not by me. It may interest you to know that Ryu has captured the serial killer. I regret only that Risa won in the end, against both Risa and Ravenhall," Loki said.

"You do know about her condition…"

"And you make a poor husband, so listen to my instructions this once. First we get you away, and I will expect you to take care of the baby when it comes…"

"Then you may be interested to know she's carrying twins…" Kerberos smirked.

* * *

Carlos quietly sat by the window. His wounds stung from the iodine. Tetsuya had administered basic first aid. A trip to the hospital would have to wait for the return to the Japanese mainland. The signet ring felt heavy in his hand. The ring could not fit his fingers as it was made for Lady Jezebella's more slender ones.

Dawn was coming. With it the boat and return to the mainland. He was well acquainted with the spring mechanism of the ring's secret. Taking a deep breath, he snapped the clasp open…

Lady Jezebella Donna Ravenhall watched the grey dawn with a heavy heart. She knew she would feel the loss of her manservant keenly as she stuffed her clothes into her truck. She wondered if she could have Tetsuya carry her luggage for her or she could bully Erik again. "Father, you should have told me…" she chided as she kept her poisons case.

She peeked out of the window to see the three Class Q members in the garden. Her violet eyes rested on the blue-haired one trailing behind the pair. She shook her head sadly. It would never work out.

"Risa, you won this time, bitch," she said.

* * *

"What's up, Ryu?" Kyu stopped in mid-step and turned to his friend.

"I know Risa was with us all the time. She poisoned her own brother… but we have no proof…" Ryu frowned.

"Don't all Pluto members have that tattoo?" Megumi asked. "Not Risa, as far as I know," Ryu replied. "I can't recall her having the tattoo…" he paused in mid-sentence and listened. Someone was playing the piano. That person could only be Risa.

**Author's Notes: **

Anyone saw that coming?


	70. End Game part 2

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**69. End Game- part 2**

"Elysium Idyll… the masterpiece composed by Kyuzuryu Takumi…" Jezebella clapped her hands deliberately. 'Elizabeth' stopped in mid-melody. It was difficult for her to continue as her protruding belly got in the way.

"I should have guessed this was a trap, Tatiana Risa…" Jezebella smiled. "Are you going to kill me here to avenge your brother?" Risa asked.

Jezebella shook her head. "It was for the scholarship, wasn't it? The sad part was that you won the scholarship, but disappeared two years ago with the music. The scholarship was offered to me but I turned it down. Music was only a hobby to me and I never intended to make it a profession… poisons on the other hand is my life."

"Jez?" Ryu gaped at the sight that greeted him as he stepped into the room with Kyu and Megumi close behind. The women were facing each other like a pair of warring alley cats.

"Risa…" Ryu turned to the woman sitting at the piano. Risa smiled and removed the wig and mask. She was a lot paler than Ryu recalled. She rolled up her sleeve to show the pale outline of the tattoo on her forearm. "I had this tattooed after Grandfather's death. It's not as nice as the others'…"

"You killed Vladimir and Ryunosuke…" It was not a question, but an accusation.

"True, but Lady Jezebella and I are so alike. We both killed our brothers…" Risa laughed softly. Jezebella made no reply.

"Check on Carlos, hurry!" Kyu shouted and he and Megumi ran for Carlos' room. Only Ryu remained behind.

* * *

They arrived at Carlos' room to find Tetsuya and Mariko outside with a tray of breakfast. "Is the boat here already? If yes, we will need to fetch Tatsumi from Alika's place…" Mariko beamed. Tetsuya unlocked the door and Mariko let out a scream and dropped the tray.

Their prisoner was lying on the floor, his face contorted in pain. Tetsuya immediately ran forward to feel for a pulse. There was none.

"Poison," Kyu pronounced when he caught sight of the ring next to the body. "The poisoner's ring, I read about it in medieval mysteries…" Megumi whispered. "The poison is placed in a secret compartment in the ring for use by the wearer…" Kyu grimly nodded and picked up the ring with a handkerchief.

It was too late for Carlos. Tetsuya closed those dead eyes and placed a towel over the face. "Suicide," Kyu said slowly.

Mariko returned in a fluster. "Tetsuya, the other two prisoners, those art thieves… They are gone from their rooms!"

* * *

"Jezebella Donna, Belladonna… you passed him the ring so that he may have the means to kill himself. There is poison in the ring, isn't there?"

"Believe what you will, Ryu. It's a pity. I rather liked you," Jez said. She gave Ryu a smile before leaving in a swish of lacy skirts. "Why, Risa?" Ryu asked.

"Why? Grandfather wanted you to be heir to Pluto and you destroyed it all, Ryu. You destroyed him. Why did he choose you? Why did he send me away? If it weren't for Kero-kun, I would never have known that you had been chosen… Father, Grandfather, even Kero… they're all gone…"

"You moron!" Ryu's patience snapped. It was all he could do not to hit her. "Grandfather sent you away because he loved you. He wanted you to have a normal life as far as possible and develop your talent in music. I never asked to be his heir or for Pluto!"

"Sayonara, Ryu," Risa pulled out a pistol and aimed it at his chest. Ryu knew she meant to shoot him. He closed his eyes. At the close range, it was impossible for her to miss.

"Well, I never…" a crisply accented voice broke the tense silence. Alika Nikolai entered the room with broad strides. Wolfhounds followed at her feet like an entourage of servants. "Takumi's descendants killing each other. I have heard enough!" Her blue eyes glared at Risa. The girl faltered. The gun slipped out of her hands and discharged accidentally.

"Vlad adored you. You were his princess… Your father, I admit, was a weakling who couldn't face the fact he lost his wife in childbirth. Now you intend to disgrace Kyuzuryu by openly killing your own kin? I cannot allow this…" Alika growled. Risa gasped and clutched at her throat as if she were choking. "For Kyuzuryu's sake and those of your children, I will spare you this once and commend you to God's judgement."

Ryu watched as Risa's eyes rolled back in her head and she slumped to the floor in a heap. He ran instinctively to her side. He was relieved to find her breathing even and deep as if she had just gone to sleep. Then he saw the blood on the carpet.

"You are hurt…" Blood stained the old woman's skirt. She must have been hit when the gun discharged. She hobbled over to an armchair and sat down heavily.

"It's just a flesh wound. Find Father Mikhail," she gasped wearily. "What did you do to her?" Ryu asked.

"Nothing much. Just wiped out most of her memories," Alika patted a nearby dog on the head. "She will be a lot more manageable in that state. My only regret is that the magnificent music of Elysium Idyll will be lost forever."

Ryu nodded and ran out. He could hear the hooting of a boat horn nearby. The boat must have arrived.

The old woman's eyes flickered from the limp form of the girl on the floor to the open window. A small smile graced her lips. Through hazy eyes, she fancied she saw the wavering outline of a young man whose face was dear to her. "So Alexei, you have finally come for me …" The wolfhound at her feet nudged her wrinkled hand and let out a soft howl which was picked up by the others of the pack. Father Mikhail and Ryu ran into the room.

The priest scooped Risa into his arms and deposited her onto the couch. He turned his attention to the old woman. "She's gone…" Ryu realized when the priest shook his head and crossed the old woman's hands over her chest. "Was it the gunshot wound…" his words caught. Mikhail shook his head. "No, my guess is old age… She was born more than a century ago when Russia was still ruled by the tsar. Don't blame yourself, Amakusa, for whatever happened here or in past with King Hades…" the priest said. "Now, go inform the others of the arrival of the boat."

"What shall I do about her or Jez?" Ryu asked no one in particular.

"Leave Risa to me. As for Jezebella Ravenhall, she's proud and stubborn as all her ancestors were. It will be best for you if your paths don't cross ever…" the priest gave a low whistle. At his unspoken command, all the wolfhounds padded out in a solemn procession.

**Author's Notes: **

The end? Or are there some more loose ends to tie up? Is it a bit anticlimactic?


	71. Last Melody

Disclaimer: All the Detective School Q characters belong to their creator.

**70. Last Melody**

"You did WHAT? You fools, you could have been killed!" Kyu winced at Hougou's voice. Their instructor had limped over to the pier with Mariko's and Kyu's help. Kyu had related the spectacular near-failure of their risky plan to catch the murderer. "Wait your temper, Tatsumi…" Mariko coaxed as they helped Hougou into the waiting boat.

Ingrid, Effette and her infant daughter were already on board. Erik and Eva lingered on the rocky shore. Erik had made arrangements for his father to be buried on the island. The uncertain future lay before the siblings and they were figuring out how they should face it. Megumi came down the pier with both her and Kyu's bags. "Megu, thanks!" Kyu took his bag from her and handed it to the waiting boatman. Megumi frowned. _Wasn't there a small inflatable raft in the boat? _She recalled that from the last time she rode in the boat._ Maybe the boatman had removed it… _

"Careful…" Kerberos hissed a warning as he was handled none-too-gently into flimsy raft. It was dangerously low in the water. They were on a secluded shore on the far side of the island. Kerberos wondered if Master Loki was mad at him for not stopping Lady Hel. He did not fancy the dangerous trip that stretched ahead of him. The two art thieves fumbled as they launched the raft into the surf. They would drop him off at the nearest medical facility so that he could get some proper treatment for his numerous injuries. They would then arrange a meeting between him and Master Loki at the nearest convenient time. Kerberos had other plans in mind.

* * *

_Three weeks later, DDS…_

"Investigations are called off? Why?" Kyu exclaimed. "There has been a diplomatic complication," Nanami explained. "The authorities have decided to close the case based on the confession provided to you by Carlos. That island is disputed territory between Russia and Japan. We cannot proceed any further in our investigations without bringing up the issue of your illegal trespass on what could be Russian soil."

"But there were people on the island. What about the?" Megumi asked.

"They are unable to provide any form of identification for their nationality. However, most had been residing on the island since the end of the war or longer. Only Hougou, Tetsuya and Mariko have Japanese citizenship," Nanami concluded. It was a relief that Mariko had Japanese citizenship. It made Hougou's plans a lot easier. Nanami glanced out of the window to see Hougou limping along on his crutches. Mariko hovered nearby, ready to offer her assistance. Tanaka Mariko went missing from an unhappy home as a teenager and no one had expected her to be alive with a case of amnesia. Hougou had discussed his plans to re-join DDC and save up some cash, enough for a wedding. Nanami chuckled. Mariko definitely had a calming effect on his hot-tempered colleague.

"Kyu, Ryu, you two could have been killed," Kinta grabbed both boys in his arms and gave them a cross between a noogie and a bear-hug.

"Erik wrote from Norway. His sister will be adopted by his uncle and aunt," Kyu said. Hopefully, little Eva will adapt to life as a normal child after a childhood of following her mercenary father through various war zones. It was unlikely that Erik will return to Japan since his uncle was recalled to Oslo after a little incident that ended in him being hauled out of the palace moat in a drunken state.

Kazuma raised his hand. "I wish to report the whereabouts of others involved in this case, sensei. Ryu may like to know." Nanami nodded his assent.

"Okay, Ingrid Montague the widow had her husband's body flown back to France and she was seen being courted by a Moroccan noble last week by the tabloids. The real Yanagisawa's body was discovered hanging in his apartment. His death was ruled a suicide. The real Elizabeth Holmes was located in Rome where she was doing research for her new book. She has been there for the last six months secluded in a nunnery. Effette de Calais and her daughter both returned to France. Tetsuya has signed up for paramedic training. No trace of the Phantom Thief or her accomplice was found."

"Any news of Jezebella?" Ryu asked.

"Lady Jezebella has returned to her estate in Britain and has kept a low profile since." Ryu's mobile phone rang shrilly. It was Loki.

"_Sorry about it, Amakusa… seems Kerberos pulled a quick one on me and checked himself out of hospital. Would like someone to look after Risa for me…"_

"Why me? I'm not even an adult yet…" He would need to ask his father for help on this.

"_You're the only surviving relation I know of. I'm going to do what I should have done when Ryunosuke was born. I'm turning myself in for a long string of international art thefts. Guess I'll be away for a long time… One more thing, she's given birth to twins last night. A bit early, but the doctors decided to operate given her health…"_

* * *

The small hospital was quiet although it was during visiting hours. Loki had chosen it for that reason. It had become apparent when his cousin awoke from a week-long coma that she was in no state for questioning or detention. The old woman had wiped out the greater part of her memory from the time she was sent to study music. She now lay propped up in her hospital bed, gazing out the window. She turned to face him when Ryu entered the room.

"Is father coming? Grandfather too?" she asked him eagerly. "Aren't they sweet?" she cradled two bundles awkwardly in each arm. Ryu dashed forward just in time to catch one of the bundles before it slipped onto the floor. A sleepy-eyed infant cooed in his arms.

"Sorry, I get so tired so easily…" Risa apologized. Her arms were almost skeletal. She had lost weight alarmingly. Somehow, Loki had managed to convince her that she had been involved in a bad accident that caused her amnesia on top of suffering a relapse of leukaemia. Loki's blood type was not a match to hers for a bone marrow transplant. She placed the other infant beside her on the pillow. "What shall we name them? How about Ryusuke and Reiya?"

"Why are you asking me this?"

"Because you're the father, aren't you?" Risa asked innocently. Ryu cursed Loki soundly for this lie. He hoped his name wouldn't end up on the babies' birth certificates or he would have a ton of explaining to do to his father.

Something on the bedside cabinet caught his attention. "Risa, who brought those?" he asked. A bouquet of deep red roses sat in their vase. The sunflowers Ryu had sent earlier lay discarded in the bin. Risa shrugged. "I must have been asleep when they were brought in." She yawned and started coughing. A trio of alert nurses rushed in. Two nurses took a baby each, firmly shooing Ryu from the ward. The last one administered an injection to the new mother.

"How bad is she?" Ryu asked one of the nurses. "Not good at all. I'm sorry but the cancer has already spread too far for chemotherapy. It's a miracle she kept the babies so long…" the nurse said. Alarms went off down the corridor leading to Risa's ward.

* * *

_Three months later. A manor in the English countryside…_

"My Lady?" the maidservant enquired as Lady Ravenhall tossed a vial of amber liquid into the sink. It had taken the better part of the night to get the concoction right. "I've decided, Maggie. I'm keeping this," she patted her swelling belly.

"As you wish. I will fetch you some warm milk," the old woman bowed and backed out of the room. Jez settled down in a chair. She should have been more watchful of Carlos. After all, didn't her father say that he was brought up by guerrillas in the South American jungle before being employed by the Ravenhalls? Carlos was not the type to forgive or forget the death of his father. How alike they were… only she preferred more subtle means… If Carlos' parentage had been confirmed… would he had married and provided the next Ravenhall heir? Jez could not picture herself raising a child. But then…

"It will be a little girl…" Ravenhall mused and toyed with her signet ring. It had been returned to her by the police after the investigations were called off. _A little girl with blue-tinged hair and violet-eyes._

**Author's Notes:**

Lady Hel is gone. Poor Ryu is left holding the babies literally, thanks to Loki. And he may have a child of his own on the way. Hougou will be back in DDC. Should I do another chapter?


	72. Epilogue

Disclaimer: All the DDS characters belong to their creator.

After careful consideration, I am doing an epilogue to this fic with the possibility of a sequel.

**Epilogue**

_15 years later…_

"Thank you, Amakusa-sensei!" the class of would-be detectives snapped to watched as the last stragglers left the classroom. It has been a long time since he was a student like them. "Hungry, Ryu?" Kyu peered into the classroom. "Megu made gyoza, loads of it." Kyu was dropping in after completing a difficult investigation involving a triple homicide and a drug trafficking ring. Kyu had left DDC with his wife five years ago to start his own detective agency and it was not often that he had free time. Ryu nodded and the pair went up to the roof.

"Where's Megu?" Ryu asked. Kyu and Megu were practically inseparable. "She's taking Keiko, Kyoko and Kyuta to the doctor. They probably caught the flu …" Kyu explained. "Kinda hard being a father of three and another on the way. I can't seem to remember their birthdays and all that… but luckily Megu does… wouldn't you believe it, Keiko wants to try for DDS next year…" Keiko was twelve, Kyoko eight and Kyuta five. Kyuta was Kyu in miniature and his sisters took after Megumi, especially their memories.

"Kinta wouldn't joinng us for Kazuma's engagement party. He took his family up to his family's dojo for the summer. He and Kaoru have some intensive training lined up for their three boys. Kazuma's fiancée is the daughter of a toy magnate, but I don't think it's a political match. I mean, they looked as if they really liked each other…" Ryu tucked into his gyoza.

"When will it be your turn, Ryu?" Kyu asked. Ryu choked on the gyoza. "I mean you and Jezebella…"

"It will never work out… and those were chance encounters," Ryu replied. "Come on, you were with her in Monaco and before that in Shanghai and Paris… you seem to be making the most of those 'chance' encounters," Kyu teased. "And you should check on your daughter…"

"Amakusa?" Koda Kagome called out from the stairs. She had taken over as the principal's secretary after Katagiri left to set up a branch of DDC in Hokkaido. "Uncle Kotaro would like to speak with you, conference room now."

"Coming!" Ryu replied. He was glad for the interruption and hoped he was not blushing too much. It wasn't his fault Jez turned down his last proposal. He would like to get to know his daughter better, if only he could figure out where Jez has sent her now…

Principal Nanami Kotaro and Hougou Tatsumi had the files of the latest DDS recruits on the conference table. Three in particular had caught their special attention.

The first was a British girl who bore a striking resemblance to a younger Amakusa Ryu. Her eyes were a startling violet. "Wisteria Violette Ravenhall. Mother is Jezebella Donna Ravenhall, self-professed poison expert. Father not listed, but we could hazard a good guess," Nanami closed the file and turned his attention to the other two.

"Twins, Amakusa Reiya and Ryusuke, adopted siblings of our instructor Amakusa Ryu," he paused and looked up at Ryu who had just entered the office. The siblings had grown up in the States with Ryu's father and stepmother. Ryu took a look at the twins' files. "Will you let them join DDS then?" He had tried to dissuade the twins from joining, but obviously, they were as stubborn as their mother was. Risa had died soon after their birth and the babies were adopted by Ryu's father. At age twelve, the pair had decided to return to Japan and live with their older brother. Ryu let out a sigh. It was not their fault that they resembled their parents as they grew up. It had become obvious who their father was.

"It is an unusual coincidence to have three of your relatives joining DDS at the same time, but their scores in the exams are flawless," the principal admitted. "There's no reason to reject them."

"Three?"

"Does the name Ravenhall ring a bell?" Hougou passed Ryu's Wisteria Ravenhall's file.

* * *

_Seiryukan_

"Miss Reiya, Master Ryusuke, your letters," the butler limped over to the dining table to pass the mail to the teenagers. That old injury had never quite healed fully despite several steel pins and two surgeries.

"Thank you, Frank." The girl was dark-haired and had a perpetual gleam of mischief in her eyes. Her dark-haired brother, born ten minutes later, had a sly look on his face which his owlish glasses did little to soften. His amber eyes scanned the music scroll before him as his hands tapped restlessly on his violin case. The butler limped away. He had worked for their foster father in New York and moved to Japan with the twins. Ryu was too busy with DDC to care for children, independent as they were.

The butler marvelled at how much the boy took after him and the girl took after her mother. It was lucky he had undergone that bit of cosmetic surgery before applying for that job as the Amakusa's butler. It could have been awkward if Mr Amakusa spotted the resemblance. Master Loki died in prison of a heart attack ten years ago and Kerberos felt curious about how the children turned out. He was, after all, their father. He never meant to hang around so long. He had a resignation letter written, but it stayed in his drawer.

"Frank! We got in! Both Ryusuke and me!" the girl let out a whoop of joy and gave their butler a peck on the cheek. She hugged her brother. "Watch the violin!" Ryusuke yelped. "You don't suppose Ryu-niichan fixed it up…" he asked suspiciously.

"Na… he's too upright to do that. That stick-in-the-mud," Reiya laughed musically and sat down at the piano. She launched off into a merry little tune. Rubbing his cheek, the butler allowed himself a smile before retreating to the kitchen.

* * *

_Park near DDS._

"Lady Wisteria, please tell me you didn't poison the pigeons…" Evangeline Thorsen pleaded. "I didn't, Eva…" the young girl answered to the chaperon's relief. The oblivious pigeons cooed and pecked at their birdseed. Wisteria tossed another handful to the birds. She adjusted the flower-decked sunhat she wore. "Are the results out yet?" Her chaperon smiled and fished something out of her coat.

"The letter from DDS…" Eva handed her charge the envelope. "I got in, didn't I?" the girl tore open the envelope. She smiled sweetly. "I'll love to meet my father."

"Oh you will, if Lady Jezebella doesn't haul you back to London… you know we are supposed to be registering you for that finishing school for ladies…" Eva laughed. The girl gave a snort of disdain and got up. Something caught her eye. She pointed at a small plant nearby. "Look, Japanese monkshood…" She eagerly pulled on her leather gloves.

**Author's Notes:**

OK, I guess this winds up this fic. There may be a sequel with the next generation of DDS.

Now I have 1 DDS fanfic and 2 Trinity Blood fics to work on… Oh well…


End file.
